Original Article

Lived Experiences of Educational Disruptions Among Senior High School Students in Bacoor City

May M. Dolis

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, Las Piñas City, Philippines
Email: may.dolis001@deped.gov.ph  

Abstract

Educational disruptions have become increasingly prevalent due to environmental hazards, community displacement, and emergency situations that interrupt students’ access to continuous learning. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of senior high school students who encountered educational disruptions in Bacoor City. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Lazarus and Folkman’s Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Stress and Coping, the study sought to understand how students experienced, interpreted, and responded to disruptions affecting their educational journeys. Using a descriptive phenomenological design, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine senior high school students from three public senior high schools in Bacoor City who had experienced disruptions caused by flooding, typhoons, fire incidents, relocation, extreme weather conditions, and alternative learning arrangements. The narratives were analyzed using the phenomenological funnel technique, involving the identification of textual themes, clustering of structural themes, and generation of eidetic insights. Findings revealed nine major themes: residential relocation and adjustment as an educational disruption, flooding and typhoon-related disruptions to learning, learning difficulties and academic disruptions, household responsibilities and limited learning resources, family and teacher support systems, community and institutional support during educational disruptions, adaptation and perseverance in the face of educational disruptions, personal growth and the development of resilience, and educational disruptions as sources of meaning and realization. The study further identified four essential insights indicating that educational disruptions significantly affect students academically, emotionally, and socially; students demonstrate resilience and adaptability; support systems facilitate coping and recovery; and disruptions contribute to personal growth and self-development. Based on these findings, an evidence-based intervention program was proposed to strengthen academic continuity, emotional support mechanisms, and collaborative partnerships among schools, families, and communities. 

Keywords

Educational disruptions, senior high school students, resilience, phenomenology, adaptation

Full Article

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Suggested APA Citation

Dolis, M. M. (2026). Lived experiences of educational disruptions among senior high school students in Bacoor City. QualiSearch Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 2(5). https://doi.org/10.66437/qjerp.v2i5.004        

Copyright and Licensing

This article is published under an open-access model by QualiSearch Academic Press. Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right to publish and disseminate the article for scholarly and educational purposes.

Peer Review Statement

This article underwent editorial screening and double-blind peer review prior to publication in the QualiSearch Journal of Educational Research and Practice (QJERP).

Ethical Approval Statement

This study received ethical clearance from the Graduate School of Education, University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, Las Piñas City. Approval was granted prior to data collection in compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and NPC Circular No. 2023-04. All involved institutions issued formal permission to conduct the study, and informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation were strictly upheld.

Author Bio

May M. Dolis is an educator and school leader affiliated with the Department of Education in Bacoor City, Cavite. She earned her Master of Arts in Education major in Social Sciences from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, Las Piñas City. Her professional experience in educational leadership has provided her with extensive exposure to the challenges encountered by learners in vulnerable and disaster-prone communities. Her research interests include educational resilience, student well-being, disaster-responsive education, inclusive learning environments, and qualitative research methodologies. Through her scholarly work, she advocates for responsive educational systems that address both the academic and psychosocial needs of learners facing adversity. Her research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on educational disruptions, resilience, and student adaptation in the Philippine educational context.

Correspondence

May M. Dolis

University of Perpetual Help System- DALTA, Las Piñas City, Philippines

may.dolis001@deped.gov.ph