Navigating Barriers in Industrial Arts Education: A Qualitative Study in the Philippine Context

AUTHOR(S)

REGINE D. BERLAS

ABSTRACT

—— Industrial Arts education, a vital component of the Technical-Vocational- Livelihood (TVL) track in the K–12 curriculum, equips learners with practical and employable skills necessary for 21st-century workforce readiness. Despite its importance, limited research has focused on the specific barriers affecting its effective delivery, particularly in secondary education within developing contexts. This study aimed to investigate the challenges encountered by teachers in Industrial Arts education in Tacloban City, Philippines. Using a descriptive-qualitative design, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with educators from public senior high schools and analyze using thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings identified two main themes: resource constraints, which include a lack of equipment, inadequate funding, and few training opportunities; and barriers to effective education, which included absenteeism, financial hardships, safety concerns, and communication difficulties. These findings highlight the interplay of personal, institutional, and systematic factors that hinder the objectives of Industrial Arts education. The study concludes that addressing these challenges requires holistic interventions such as sustained funding, stronger school-industry linkages, continuous teacher development, and student support mechanisms to enhance participation and safety. This study provides insights that are locally grounded yet broadly relevant, contributing to international discussions on strengthening technical-vocational education programs. Keywords — Industrial Arts Education; Technology-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Track; Educational Barriers; Resource constraints; and K-12 curriculum