It's Okay to be Not Okay: Lived Experiences of Multigrade School Teacher-In-Charge in Laak North District

A multigrade school teacher-in-charge serves dual roles as school head and classroom teacher in multigrade schools, leaving them with challenging tasks in overseeing the school and managing multigrade classrooms. The study aimed to explore the experiences of these teachers, understand their strategies in handling their dual roles, and design a capability training series based on the needs of multigrade teachers. A qualitative phenomenological research approach was employed with five multigrade school teacher-in-charge as participants, selected based on purposive sampling techniques. Research instruments included the interview schedule and interview guide which underwent validation and pilot-testing. Data was collected through iterative in-depth interview while focus group discussion with the same participants was done for data verification and reflexivity. Thematic analysis of data applied Colaizzi’s method. Notably, the study revealed major thematic findings: community partnership and cultural responsiveness, teacher competence, student-centered management, collaborative community leadership, efficiency in multitasking and problem-solving, adaptive leadership, challenges in multigrade teaching, importance of teacher collaboration and dedication, and empowerment of school leaders in multigrade education. Moreover, the study uncovered strategies employed by multigrade school teacher-in-charge, including data-informed leadership, monitoring techniques for managing schools, strategic planning, financial tactics for resource management, and research initiatives in multigrade education. The study recommends implementing a capability training series to address the complexities of managing multigrade schools. Adoption of the training series can effectively tackle the unique challenges faced by teachers in multigrade educational settings.