Bridging Reading Gaps through the ARAL Program: Lived Experiences of English Teachers in Supporting Struggling Readers in Talubin National High School

Authors

  • Olga Wad-ey Northeastern College, Santiago City Philippines Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64358/sih.v2i3.142

Keywords:

ARAL Program

Abstract

Reading proficiency remains one of the most significant determinants of learners' academic achievement and lifelong success. However, many secondary school students continue to experience reading difficulties that hinder their comprehension, communication, and overall academic performance. In response to the declining literacy levels among Filipino learners, the Department of Education introduced the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program to provide targeted interventions for struggling learners. While previous studies have primarily examined learners' reading outcomes and intervention effectiveness, limited attention has been given to the lived experiences of English teachers who serve as frontliners in implementing the ARAL Program. Understanding their experiences is crucial because teachers play a central role in designing instructional strategies, motivating learners, overcoming implementation barriers, and ensuring the success of reading interventions. This phenomenological study aims to explore the lived experiences of English teachers in supporting struggling readers through the ARAL Program at Talubin National High School. Guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study seeks to understand how teachers perceive their instructional roles, the challenges they encounter, the coping mechanisms they employ, and the meanings they attach to their experiences in delivering reading interventions. Participants will consist of purposively selected English teachers directly involved in implementing the ARAL Program. Data will be collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis following the IPA framework. The findings are expected to generate comprehensive themes that describe teachers' professional commitment, instructional innovations, emotional resilience, collaborative practices, and recommendations for strengthening literacy intervention programs. The study intends to contribute to literacy education, teacher professional development, and educational policy by providing contextualized evidence that may inform the enhancement of the ARAL Program and similar remedial reading initiatives in Philippine secondary schools.

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Published

2026-08-08

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 3 (2026): Studies in Interdisciplinary Horizons

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Articles

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