Personal and professional competencies and developmental challenges among Grade One teachers

Abstract

The study examined the competencies of teachers and the challenges they encounter in sustaining their professional growth. Although teacher competence has been widely studied, limited attention has been given to the combined personal and professional competencies of teachers in the early grades within a local public-school context. Using a descriptive survey design, the study involved 17 teacher-respondents from public elementary schools in Gamu District, Schools Division of Isabela. Data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire, informal interviews, and documentary analysis. Frequency and percentage were used to describe the respondents’ profile, while weighted mean was employed to determine competency levels and the difficulty of setbacks encountered. The findings showed that respondents demonstrated very high personal competence (M = 4.24) and very high professional competence (M = 4.23). However, competency-development setbacks remained moderately difficult (M = 2.70), particularly those related to training, resources, time, workload, and administrative demands. The study recommends responsive professional development, stronger collaboration, instructional leadership, ICT-supported learning, and sustained institutional support.