Academic Experiences of Teachers as Graduate Students: Basis for a Proposed Graduate School Development Plan

This study identified the academic experiences of graduate students who are also full-time teachers.The phenomenological research design was used in this study to fully understand their experiences and interpret the themes that arose from the qualitative data that were gathered through individual interviews and focus group discussions.Using purposive sampling, participants were selected from the different programs in the graduate school of a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Philippines, both Master's and Doctorate degrees with a total of forty-two (42) participants across programs.Based on the findings, plans for the enhancement of the Graduate School Development Program were proposed.The findings of this study are important to inform and guide the HEIs and the education department on future innovations and further studies toward policy recommendations.