The Impact of Curriculum Reform on Teacher Workload: A Multidimensional Time-Use Analysis

Teachers in developing countries often face heavy workload demands, yet little is known about how curriculum reforms shape their daily work patterns. This study examines how the revised K to 10 curriculum in selected Philippine public schools affects teacher time allocation, emotional wellbeing, and daily work patterns using data from a randomized controlled trial. We collected detailed time-use diaries from 696 teachers who recorded activities every twenty minutes over a full day, including their emotional states, locations, and social interactions. Reported activities were coded using the International Classification of Activities for Time-Use Statistics (ICATUS) as the initial framework and then refined through a customized coding system tailored to teaching-specific activities. The findings show that teachers in pilot schools spent less time on teaching and reallocated part of this time to lesson preparation and other teaching duties, resulting in a modest reduction in total work hours. Emotional well-being remained stable, with positive moods dominating across all activities. Sleep duration was unaffected, averaging seven hours for both groups. Spillover effects were minimal, as teachers of non-targeted grades maintained similar patterns except for a reduction in administrative tasks that benefited all teachers. These findings suggest that curriculum reform can reduce teaching time without affecting wellbeing, although workload adjustments occur through increased preparation rather than overall time savings. Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@pids.gov.ph.