Abstract
This study on the integrated findings of an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design investigate role of teachers’ in addressing the needs of low-income students to break the cycle of poverty. The exploratory sequential mixed methods design is characterized by an initial qualitative phase of data collection and analysis, followed by a phase of quantitative data collection analysis, with a final phase of integration or linking of data from the two separate strands of data. More specifically, it aimed to construct, develop and evaluate the role of teachers’ in addressing the needs of low-income students to break the cycle of poverty scale as viewed by the teachers. In the qualitative phase, there were ten teachers who participated in the in-depth interview and seven teachers participated in the focus group discussion. There were five themes that emerged from the interview that put emphasis on strategize, empowerment, connections, inclusivity, and community building. A 64-item role of teachers’ in addressing the needs of low-income students to break the cycle of poverty scale was also constructed based from the results of the interview, which was subjected to the quantitative phase. In the quantitative phase, 200 questionnaire responses were analyzed for exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Results showed four underlying dimensions on role of teachers’ in addressing the needs of low-income students to break the cycle of poverty. A total of four themes on Role of Teachers in Addressing the Needs of Low-Income Students Questionnaire was developed which are strategize with fifteen items; empowerment with fourteen items; connections with eleven items; and inclusivity with eight items with a total of 48- item questionnaire.