Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their dependents often undergo career transitions when entering teaching roles in Philippine International Schools in Saudi Arabia. This study explores their lived experiences and the institutional processes that shape their integration, drawing on Heidegger’s ontological concepts of Dasein, thrownness, care, and dwelling, alongside schema theory and systems thinking. A qualitative phenomenological design with case study elements was employed. Semi -structured interviews were conducted with 19 OFW and dependent career shifters and 4 school leaders (principals and assistant principals). Interviews were analyzed through hermeneutic circles and thematic coding guided by Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory and Heideggeria n constructs. Institutional documents and credentialing pathways were also reviewed to contextualize participant narratives. Three major themes emerged: (1) dissonance between prior employment and teaching expectations, (2) attunement through adaptive peda gogical practices and community support, and (3) transformative identity reconstruction anchored in spiritual resilience and professional validation. Participants highlighted credentialing, mentorship, and cultural negotiation as critical supports in their transition. Findings suggest that career shifters’ experiences embody ontological motifs such as “Navigating Thrownness” and “Cultivating Care,” which serve as catalysts for educational transformation. The study advocates for structural integration beyond symbolic inclusion, recommending onboarding programs, policies, and governance frameworks that incorporate schema, feedback patterns, and existential insights. Philippine international schools can thus foster resilient, interconnected learning communities that honor lived experience as a driver of innovation and systemic transformation.

Keywords: Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) , career shifters , phenomenology , transformative learning , international schools , Heideggerian Ontology