Building Holistic Learners Through Integrated Classroom Practices: A Grounded Theory of Elementary Teacher Practices in Bocos Elementary School, Banaue, Ifugao

Authors

  • PRECIOUS LYN POMILBAN Northeastern College- Santiago City, Philippines Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64358/sih.v2i3.149

Keywords:

grounded theory, holistic education, integrated classroom practices, teacher leadership, elementary education, holistic learner development, culturally responsive teaching, Philippines

Abstract

Abstract

Holistic education has become an important educational paradigm that emphasizes the balanced development of learners' intellectual, emotional, social, physical, moral, and cultural dimensions. In contemporary basic education, elementary teachers are expected to integrate academic instruction with character education, learner wellness, leadership development, disaster preparedness, and socio-emotional learning to prepare children for the complex demands of the twenty-first century. Despite the increasing emphasis on holistic learner development within the Philippine MATATAG Curriculum and global educational reforms, limited qualitative studies have generated a substantive theory explaining how elementary teachers integrate multiple instructional and co-curricular responsibilities to cultivate holistic learners, particularly in geographically isolated and culturally diverse schools. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory explaining the practices employed by elementary teachers in building holistic learners through integrated classroom practices at Bocos Elementary School, Banaue, Ifugao. Employing the Straussian Grounded Theory approach of Corbin and Strauss, the study involved fifteen (15) purposively selected participants consisting of Grade 4 to Grade 6 teachers, school heads, subject coordinators, and selected stakeholders actively involved in learner development programs. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, classroom observations, document analysis, and field notes and analyzed using open coding, axial coding, and selective coding with constant comparative analysis. The analysis generated a substantive theory, The Integrated Holistic Teaching Model, which explains that effective holistic learner development emerges from the dynamic interaction among integrated instruction, values formation, learner wellness, collaborative leadership, culturally responsive pedagogy, and continuous reflective teaching. The resulting theory provides a framework for strengthening classroom instruction, school leadership, teacher professional development, and learner support systems. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on holistic education, teacher leadership, grounded theory research, and integrated elementary teaching within culturally diverse educational contexts.

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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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