Navigating Multisubject Teaching in Indigenous Elementary Education: Lived Experiences and Adaptive Pedagogical Practices of Master Teachers

Abstract

Multisubject  teaching requires elementary teachers to navigate multiple disciplinary domains while responding to learner's developmental , linguistic, cultural and contextual needs. The complexity of this responsibility becomes particularly significnt in indigenous communities , where formal curricular expectations intersect with local knowledge systems, cultural practices , language and community realities. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences and adaptive pedagogical practices of master teachers engaged in multisubject teaching in Ifugao, Philippines. Specifically, it examines the challenges associated with teaching multiple learning areas, the adaptive strategies employed by teachers, the integration  of indigenous and community contexts into instruction, the professional meanings teachers construct from their experiences. Participants are purposively selected master teachers and experienced elementary teachers with direct experience in multisubject instruction within indigenous communities. Data are generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed through phenomenologically informed thematic analysis. Four analytical themes frame the presentation of findings: One Teacher, Many Learning Worlds; Teaching Through Culture and Context; Making More from what is Available; and Experience Becoming Expertise. The findings position multisubjet teaching not merely as an increased instructional workload  buta as form of adaptive professional practice  requiring pedagogical flexibility, contextualization, resourcefulness, cultural responsiveness, and reflective expertise. The sstudy contributes to discussions on teacher professional development, culturally responsive education, Indigenous Peoples Education, and Instructional support for elementary teachers serving rural and indigenous communities.