Workplace Spirituality in Relation to Moral Responsibilities of Teachers in Public Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the significant relationship between workplace spirituality and the moral responsibilities of public elementary school teachers. Guided by Ashmos and Duchon’s (2000) workplace spirituality model, a descriptive-correlational research design was employed, involving 149 teachers from public elementary schools in the Baganga South District, Division of Davao Oriental, selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a validated and pilot-tested questionnaire through face-to-face surveys. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation (SD), Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses. The findings revealed that teachers rated their workplace spirituality at a very high level, while their moral responsibilities were rated high. Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between workplace spirituality and moral responsibilities. Multiple regression analysis showed that the domains of workplace spirituality—sense of community and belonging, alignment of personal and organizational values, and compassion and service-oriented teaching—significantly influenced moral responsibilities. Among these, compassion and service-oriented teaching had the strongest positive effect, while alignment of personal and organizational values showed a significant negative influence. This unexpected result may reflect possible value misalignment or dissonance between institutional policies and individual teacher beliefs. Meanwhile, meaningful work did not have a statistically significant impact on moral responsibilities. Based on these findings, it is recommended that school leaders foster a strong sense of community and compassion-oriented teaching to enhance teachers’ moral responsibilities. Further research may explore the underlying causes of the negative influence of value alignment and identify strategies to strengthen meaningful work’s contribution to moral development.