Economic Difficulty and Coping Strategies of Low Income Faculty Members as Related to their Teaching Performance

This study ascertained the relationship between difficulties and coping strategies as related to teaching performance of West Visayas State University-Janiuay Campus (WVSU-JC) faculty for the School Year 2014-2015. The survey-correlational method was used with teaching performance as dependent variables, experienced economic difficulties as the independent variable, and coping strategy as moderator variable. The participants in the study were the 52 faculty who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire-checklist and Faculty Performance Evaluation System. The statistical tools used were frequency count, rank, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s Product-Moment Coefficient of Correlation. All statistical computations were availed of through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results revealed that the top economic difficulty experienced by faculty was limited cash. The topmost coping strategy employed by faculty was buying only basic foods or things for household. The faculty also experienced economic difficulty to a “moderate extent.” Nevertheless, the performance of the faculty was found to be “outstanding.” Teachers were affected by such financial crisis. However, despite their experienced economic difficulties, as major agents for change, they performed their best for the improvement of quality education. No significant relationships existed between coping strategies and teaching performance of faculty.

Keywords: coping strategy, economic difficulty, teaching performance