The Experiences of Volunteer Teachers in the E-Tulay Program

Abstract

The main focus of this research is the lived experiences of volunteer teachers in the E-Tulay program. The present study aims to determine the lived experiences and the meaning of being a volunteer teacher. Six co-researchers for this study were all volunteer teachers in E-Tulay from 2021-2023. The lived experiences of the primary researcher were also included in the dataset following the hermeneutical phenomenological framework and methodology which was used to guide the study. Based on the interpretation of the generated lived experiences, symbolic representations of being an E-Tulay teacher, internal and external forces that affect volunteerism, pakikipagkapwa-tao, personal and professional growth of volunteer teachers, volunteers’ acknowledgments and rewards and spearheading E-Tulay in action emerged as the core themes. Furthermore, the composite textural-structural description exposes the constant idea of change, commitment, and contribution in the lived experiences that comprise the essence of being an E-Tulay volunteer teacher. A poem based on the lived experiences of the volunteer teachers was constructed based on the aforementioned core themes and essences, representing the synthesis of the lived experiences of the co-researchers.