Exploring the Lived Experiences of Senior High School Science Teachers in Advancing Scientific Literacy and Classroom Innovation

This study described the lived experiences of senior high school science teachers in selected public schools in Manila City, Philippines, as they advanced scientific literacy and classroom innovation under actual classroom conditions. It examined how teachers made science relevant, supported inquiry and evidence-based reasoning, adapted instruction to learner needs, and responded to limitations in resources, facilities, time, and technology. A qualitative Husserlian descriptive phenomenological design was used. Twelve senior high school science teachers, with 15 to 34 years of science teaching experience, were selected through purposive criterion sampling and took part in semi-structured phenomenological interviews; their validated transcripts or response summaries formed the data corpus. Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method guided the identification of significant statements, formulation of meanings, clustering of themes, development of essential themes, and synthesis of the essential structure of the experience. Scientific literacy was experienced as active engagement in questioning, investigation, evidence interpretation, claim evaluation, and application of science to real-life concerns, while classroom innovation was experienced as adaptive, learner-centered practice rather than a single teaching method. Five essential themes emerged: science became meaningful when connected with learners’ lived realities and real-world concerns; scientific literacy developed through inquiry, evidence, and critical judgment; classroom innovation was adaptive and learner-centered; resource constraints reshaped science teaching and required continuous adaptation; and advancing scientific literacy changed the teacher’s role while expanding learner ownership. The study concludes that scientific literacy and classroom innovation are experienced together, because instructional adaptation allows teachers to sustain relevance, inquiry, evidence use, and learner participation when ordinary conditions are insufficient. Based on these findings, a six-component Science Literacy and Classroom Innovation Support Framework for Senior High School Science Teachers was proposed, with implications for instructional support, laboratories and resources, sustained professional learning, collaboration, and flexible school-level conditions.