Navigating Educational Policy in Practice: Lived Experiences of ARAL Tutors in Selected Schools of Northern Samar

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of ARAL Tutors in selected schools of Laoang, Gamay, and Capul, Northern Samar, focusing on how educational policies and governance structures shaped their work and identifying implications for program improvement. Employing a descriptive phenomenological design guided by Colaizzi’s method, nine ARAL Tutors participated in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis revealed emergent themes: pathways to becoming tutors, core responsibilities, tutoring practices, challenges encountered, memorable experiences, governance and policy support, policy–practice gaps, professional growth, and lessons for policymakers. Tutors reported that while they employed interactive, learner-centered strategies, their work was constrained by resource scarcity, irregular attendance tutees, heavy workloads, and administrative burdens. Despite these challenges, they experienced transformative learner progress and professional growth in patience, empathy, and differentiated instruction. Findings underscore Lipsky’s (1980) theory of street-level bureaucracy, as tutors exercised discretion in adapting policies to rural realities, and highlight the importance of distributed leadership (Cheng, 2024; Montecillo, Escarlos, & De Los Santos, 2025) in sustaining ARAL implementation. Policy–practice gaps were evident, as national directives assumed ideal conditions are absent in some municipalities of Northern Samar, including adequate ICT access, parental support, and learner safety. This study concludes that standardized policies are ineffective in rural contexts. Recommendations include contextualizing ARAL policies to local realities, reducing administrative burdens, providing adequate resources and tutor incentives, and strengthening community engagement. By situating tutors’ narratives within theoretical frameworks of policy implementation and distributed leadership, this research contributes to evidence-based policy critique and offers actionable recommendations for strengthening educational recovery programs in marginalized settings.