Unrecognized Leadership: The Lifeworld of Unpromoted Teachers Serving as Teacher-in-Charge

Abstract

The role of Teachers-in-Charge (TICs) within the Philippine Education System, particularly in the BARMM region, represents a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of school leadership. Despite assuming significant responsibilities, including managing school operations and supporting teachers, TICs face substantial challenges due to their lack of formal recognition and authority. This study explores the lived experiences, challenges, and aspirations of unpromoted TICs within the Philippine education system, with a particular focus on the BARMM region. TICs, who perform leadership roles without formal recognition or promotion, are a critical part of the school management structure but often face systemic challenges that hinder their professional growth. Through transcendental phenomenology, including in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this study identifies key areas that TICs encounter, including emotional strain, role ambiguity, workload pressures, and a lack of formal authority. The findings reveal that despite the absence of official leadership positions, TICs exhibit remarkable resilience and growth, viewing their roles as opportunities for personal development and leadership advancement. However, these teachers also experience significant role discomfort, as their responsibilities often exceed their formal rank, undermining their confidence and limiting their decision-making power.
The study further highlights the leadership ambitions of TICs, many of whom view their current roles as stepping stones toward formal promotion. Nevertheless, the lack of recognition, both at the institutional level and within the broader educational system, remains a substantial barrier to their career progression. This research also underscores the structural challenges that perpetuate the invisibility of TICs’ contributions, particularly the focus on formal credentials or research outputs in promotion systems, which disadvantages those with practical leadership experience.
The findings suggest the need for systemic reforms to address the rank-role misalignment experienced by TICs. Recommendations include creating clearer leadership pathways, professional development programs, and institutional recognition to better support TICs in realizing their leadership potential. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on teacher leadership in the Philippines and calls for enhanced policies to empower TICs and formally integrate them into school leadership structures.