Title

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS IN HANDLING SEPARATION ANXIETY AMONG PRESCHOOLERS

Graduate School

Author(s)

Bihag, Amethyst Kerstine A.

Affiliation

Misamis University

Degree Program

Master of Arts in Education major in Education Management (MAEd-EM)

Contributor

Clarin, Analyn S. - Adviser
Reyes, Imelda O. - Panel Member
Ranises, Lloyd B. - Panel Member
Villanueva, Haydee D. - Panel Member
Superable, Cynthia S. - Chairman

Year

2026

Abstract

Separation anxiety is a developmental condition in which young children experience
distress when separated from parents or primary caregivers, often affecting classroom
adjustment and participation. This study explored and described teachers’ lived
experiences in managing separation anxiety among preschoolers through Van Manen’s
lifeworld existentials: lived body, lived space, lived time, lived other, and lived things.
Specifically, it examines how teachers physically and emotionally experience managing
preschoolers with separation anxiety, how they perceive the classroom environment, how
they experience time during anxiety episodes, how they describe their relationships with
preschoolers, and how classroom materials help in managing the situation. This study
employs a hermeneutic phenomenological design and is conducted in private schools in
Iligan City during the 2025–2026 school year. The participants are ten preschool teachers
selected through purposive sampling. Data are gathered through in-depth interviews and
interpreted using Van Manen’s phenomenological approach. The findings reveal five
themes: Embodying Calm in Emotional Strain, Creating Safe and Calming Spaces, Time
Distortion in Caregiving Moments, Trust as a Path to Emotional Safety, and Material Ports
for Comfort and Regulation. These imply that managing separation anxiety requires
emotional regulation, supportive spaces, trusting relationships, and purposeful use of
classroom materials. It is recommended that school heads strengthen teacher support
programs, teachers and assistant teachers practice responsive caregiving, and parents
collaborate closely with schools during children’s transition.

Keywords

emotional regulation, hermeneutic phenomenology, lived experiences,
preschool classroom, preschool teachers, separation anxiety