Navigating Uncharted Territories: Stories of Pre-Retired Science Teachers Amid Emergency Remote Online Learning

The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the narratives of pre-retired Science teachers who are teaching remotely amid the global health crisis. It hopes to describe and elucidate the significant events, realizations, insights, and how the pandemic changed their stories as facilitators of learning. A Qualitative research design was employed in this study; specifically, it utilized the descriptive narrative approach to get the limited stories of the participants. The participants of the study consisted of four (4) pre-retired Science teachers, two of whom came from private schools and two came from public schools in Bacolod City. The participants were selected through purposive sampling. The data was gathered through a semi-structured interview questionnaire and focused group discussion (FGD). Three themes emerged regarding the stories of the participants, a.) Trials and Tribulations of Pre-retired Science Teachers in Crossing with three (3) sub-themes; Building the Ark Before it Starts to Rain, Hands Coated with Grease, and Changing Gears Manually. The second theme, b.) Involvement, Practices, and Role of Pre-retired Science Teachers with three (3) subthemes, Pre-retired Science Teachers as Drivers of Curriculum and Instruction, Curvy Roads Make a Skillful Driver and Overcoming Road Barriers and Practices in Teaching Science Online, and Lastly, Opportunities and Privileges in Teaching Amidst Pandemic with two (2) subthemes, Reinventing and Realigning the Wheels and Midway Cognizance. The study discovered that various issues and challenges primarily mark pre-retired teachers’ stories and encounters with emergency remote learning during a pandemic. Science teachers realized that acceptance, development, consideration, patience, passion for teaching, adequate instruction, and an open mind about emergency remote learning are all critical components for the effective implementation of emergency remote learning. Keywords: Pre-retired teachers, remote learning, narrative research, teaching