Abstract
The study aimed to find out the reasons why the country’s performance in domestic and international learning assessments is very low. It investigated the issues and concerns experienced by teachers in the workplace that affected the quality of their life and work-life situations, that further determines the quality of teachers in public elementary schools. The study took on concepts from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to determine how teachers face the challenges in the system of Philippine education. It used open-ended questionnaires, where data were validated through personal interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). Results revealed that teachers have high level of resiliency, resourcefulness, creativity, and innovativeness in confronting challenges and are fully aware about the importance of personal well-being and of their family. The findings imply that education policies affect the quality of teachers to some extent making them enduring drivers of quality learning outcomes. The study recommends that education policies on the welfare of teachers be revisited and reviewed and be realigned to uphold teachers’ mental health and general well-being.
