Cherish Jade S. Nagret and Andrea V. Campado (Authors)
Abstract
This study aims to understand the journey of teachers working in remote indigenous communities of the Division of Sarangani from culture shock to recovery. Some teachers from the lowlands were assigned to indigenous communities to educate the children under the auspices of the Department of Education. This cultural movement from the familiar home culture to a new host culture brings challenges as the newcomers seek to function in the new, unfamiliar culture. Four research questions were asked. The first question focused on the different challenges encountered by the teachers in the initial periods of their assignment in the indigenous communities. The second question sought to understand how the teachers navigate their culture shock experience toward recovery. The third question tried to identify the adjustments that the teachers made to adapt to the local culture. The last question attempted to uncover the benefits brought by their work in their respective assignments. This study followed a qualitative approach, which allowed the participants to express their own experiences from culture shock to recovery. Eight participants were purposively selected from different remote indigenous communities in the Division of Sarangani. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Analyses showed that the teachers experienced both survival and socio-cultural challenges during the initial stage of their assignment. The teachers also expressed that they navigated their culture shock through building relationships with the community, family support, intentional learning the local culture, and exploring the area. The adjustments made by the teachers were attitudinal and lifestyle adjustments. The teachers also claimed that their experience in the indigenous community brought benefits such as development of personal values, learning and appreciation of the local culture, integration to the local community, appreciation of teaching in the remote areas, and learning practical life skills. The study demonstrated the reality of culture shock. It also showed that the participants overcame the challenges of culture shock. The study also revealed that teaching in remote, indigenous areas can be rewarding with a number of benefits.
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Keywords: culture shock, indigenous communities, teacher adaptation, sociocultural challenges, qualitative inquiry