Navigating Dual Roles: A Qualitative Exploration of Women's Experiences Balancing Career and Family in Teaching Professions

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of women teachers balancing dual roles of professional educator and family caregiver. Despite representing a majority of the global teaching workforce, women continue to face unique challenges in managing career and familial expectations. Using a phenomenological design and semi-structured interviews with eight teachers from school, college, and university levels, this research uncovers five major themes: temporal juggling, emotional labor, identity conflict, support systems, and long-term career implications. Findings reveal that time-based conflicts and emotional exhaustion are pervasive, especially when institutional structures lack flexibility. Teacher’s report navigating tightly packed schedules, performing emotional labor in classrooms, and returning home to care-giving responsibilities with little time for self-care. Many participants describe feeling fragmented across roles, yet others develop resilient strategies and integrated identities. The presence or absence of institutional and familial support emerged as a key factor influencing satisfaction and sustainability in dual-role management.

The study is grounded in Carlson’s Work-Family Balance Theory, Role Theory, and Feminist Theory, offering a multidimensional lens through which to understand the structural and emotional dimensions of work-family dynamics in education. Implications include the need for gender-sensitive educational policies, flexible institutional frameworks, and deeper awareness of how professional expectations intersect with personal roles. The study contributes to literature on gender, emotional labor, and career development in education, offering insights for both policymakers and educational leaders aiming to support women in teaching professions.