The Lived Experiences of J-1 Filipino Secondary Science Teachers in Cultural and Pedagogical Adaptation

This study examined the lived experiences of J-1 Filipino secondary science teachers in Florida, emphasizing their pedagogical and cultural adaptation. Guided by Husserlian descriptive phenomenology, the study sought to understand the participants’ motivations for temporary migration, how they navigated cultural and pedagogical adaptation in the new educational setting, and the impact of the J-1 experience on their personal and professional lives. Seven participants took part in a semi-structured interview. The study employed Colaizzi’s (1978) framework to ensure phenomenological rigor. The findings revealed five major themes: (1) negotiating the socioeconomic and personal pressures in the lived experience of temporary migration, (2) adapting to the new sociocultural environment, (3) reconstructing teaching practices in a new educational context, (4) navigating adaptation through support and resilience, and (5) living through adjustments and growth in the J-1 journey. The study concludes that the journey of the seven participants who entered a new educational context involved an ongoing process of disruption, adjustment, and renewal of personal and professional identity. A proposed training program was developed based on the findings to help enhance the future J-1 Filipino secondary science teachers’ cultural and pedagogical adaptation.