Sociocultural Alignment and the Application of Learning Theories Among Vocational Teachers in Surigao del Sur

Abstract

The application of learning theories in Technical Vocational Education (TVE) operates as a deeply sociocultural process mediated by human, institutional, and environmental variables. This study investigated the lived experiences of twenty-five TVE teachers in Surigao del Sur, Philippines, exploring how they culturally align pedagogical frameworks within the vocational workshop. Utilizing a qualitative exploratory research design, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings reveal that while prior industry experience provides vital sociocultural capital, experiential learning is frequently obstructed by a resource-theory gap driven by the scarcity of industry-standard equipment. Furthermore, educators must maintain immense instructional resilience to recalibrate humanistic strategies in response to student behavioral dynamics, rapid curricular shifts, and ecological precarity like natural disasters. The study concludes that vocational pedagogy's efficacy depends on a synchronized human ecosystem involving the educator, institution, and community. These results emphasize the need for culturally responsive practices and equitable resource allocation to support vocational acculturation in disaster-prone regions.