Kindergarten Teachers’ Lived Experiences in Classrooms with Limited Learning Media

Abstract

Learning media are essential for supporting meaningful learning experiences in early childhood education. However, many early childhood education settings continue to face persistent limitations in the availability of instructional resources, creating multifaceted challenges for teachers in facilitating learning. This study aimed to explore kindergarten teachers' lived experiences of teaching in classrooms with limited learning media. A qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed. The participants were four kindergarten teachers actively serving at RA Al Hidayah, Kedungkelor Village, Tegal Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, comprising the entire teaching staff of the school, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed using the six-stage IPA procedure proposed by Smith, Flowers, and Larkin. The findings revealed four interconnected themes that reflect a progressive journey from constraint to transformation: (1) encountering the realities of limited learning media, in which teachers experienced daily instructional challenges and a reduced sense of teaching effectiveness; (2) navigating emotional challenges through professional commitment, in which feelings of confusion, frustration, and self-doubt were continually negotiated through resilience and dedication; (3) transforming limitations into creativity and innovation, in which teachers actively developed alternative learning media and adapted pedagogical strategies; and (4) growing through adversity through professional learning and transformation, in which repeated engagement with resource constraints fostered agency, confidence, and professional growth.