Understanding Public Service: A Phenomenographic Inquiry into the Lived Meanings of Civic Duty Among DepEd Administrative Workers

This study explores the qualitatively distinct ways in which non-teaching personnel in the Department of Education (DepEd) conceptualize civic duty within their administrative roles. Using a phenomenographic research design, the study investigates how these personnel make sense of public service, interpret institutional expectations, and act upon their perceived responsibilities as government workers. Eighteen participants from various DepEd regional and division offices responded to a written interview guide in July 2025. The data were analyzed using phenomenographic methods, which revealed five distinct conceptions of civic duty: (1) following orders, (2) job commitment, (3) public support for education, (4) community engagement and collaboration, and (5) ethical and moral responsibility to the nation. These categories were structured into an outcome space reflecting a progressive shift from externally imposed compliance to internally motivated public service. The findings demonstrate that civic duty among DepEd administrative workers is not a fixed or uniform construct, but a dynamic, lived experience shaped by personal values, institutional culture, and ethical self-understanding. The study concludes that fostering deeper, values-driven engagement among non-teaching personnel requires institutional recognition of their moral agency, more reflective HR practices, and a workplace culture that affirms their contribution to nation-building. Recommendations include developing values-based training, reframing administrative work as civic engagement, and supporting ethical public service within the DepEd bureaucracy.