Overqualified or Misplaced: Lived Experiences of Language Teachers Defying Degree–Career Misalignment

Degree–career alignment is increasingly emphasized in the Philippine basic education system; however, many language education teachers pursue advanced degrees that do not fully match their current classroom roles. Within a policy environment that promotes merit and competency based career progression and rewards advanced qualifications, alongside persistent specialization mismatch noted by EDCOM II, such misalignment raises questions about motivation, professional strain, and identity. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of language education teachers who are working in Language Education while pursuing or holding graduate degrees in management and leadership. Using a phenomenological approach, data were gathered through a semi structured Google Form from 15 language education teachers at Malaybalay City National Science High School to examine their reasons for pursuing non aligned degrees, the challenges they encounter, the coping mechanisms they employ, and the advice they offer others. Thematic analysis revealed four major themes. The most frequently reported was Functional and Relational Friction (93.30%), followed by Personal Evolution and Strategic Career Versatility (86.70%), Transformative Adaptation and Knowledge Synthesis (80.00%), and Strategic Narrative Building and Proactive Alignment (66.70%). Teachers viewed their misaligned degrees as long term investments in professional growth, flexibility, and credibility, yet they experienced theory–practice gaps, role ambiguity, and identity strain. At the same time, they actively translated leadership concepts into their work, bridged skill gaps through self directed learning and mentoring, and crafted narratives that frame their combined expertise as a professional edge. Overall, degree–career misalignment emerged as a multifaceted condition shaped by policy reforms, institutional expectations, and teachers’ own strategies, generating both friction and opportunities for expanded professional identity and practice.