Exploring Readiness Gaps in the Pilot Implementation of the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum in the Philippines

The Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) is adopting the Strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Curriculum in selected schools to address long-standing concerns about curriculum overload, skill mismatch, and learning relevance. Despite its reform-oriented aims, increasing concerns suggest significant gaps in preparedness during early implementation. This study looked at the lived experiences of teachers and school administrators in chosen pilot senior high schools in Davao City, with an emphasis on issues such as organizational readiness, teacher training, and instructional resources. The study took a qualitative phenomenological method based on Thorndike's Law of Readiness, with purposely selected teachers and school administrators actively participating in the curriculum rollout. A semi-structured in-depth interviews discussions were utilized to collect data, which was then thematically analyzed. The findings revealed two major themes: (1) Experiencing Challenges in Curriculum Implementation, and (2) Demonstrating Teacher Adaptability and Professional Growth. According to the study, successful curriculum reform requires a mix of teacher readiness and institutional competency. To guarantee successful and fair curriculum implementation, proposals include increased pre-implementation planning, continued professional development, timely delivery of instructional resources, improved school infrastructure, and the formation of professional learning communities.