CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

One of the major institutions in our society along with the government,

religion, economy, and the family is the education institution. Education is one of the

building blocks for a society to work. Education aims to develop each citizen to be

more productive and to contribute to the changing economy of our society through

developing their skills and knowledge. By building the foundation of education,one

should have the vast equipments and vigor materials for better results. Every year,

newly graduates coming from different courses and schools throughout the country

was produced. New graduates are expected to have their guts to face the world of

employment. The true challenges are waiting for them as they get outside their typical

classroom and face the outside world. The graduates should be fully equipped with

competencies that are expected to develop from their previous education. The field of

Bachelor of Science in education now takes the step as it produces new teachers

annually. Education courses should have a good foundation since it is assume that

they will produce newly highly competitive teachers equipped with the 21st century

skills as these teachers becomes one of the pillars of building the institution of

education in our nation. The need for advance research and documentation for every

education graduate students are emerging to ensure that quality precedes quantity and

to produce dedicated teachers that can successfully practice teaching after their four

year of studying the course. Tracer study constitutes one form of specified study

which gives us information for evaluating the results of the education and trainings of

1
a specific institution of higher Education. This information can be use to further

improve the development of the institution in the context of quality assurance

(Schomburg 2003).

An extreme work was done to complete the list of all information of the 109

graduates of BISCAST batch 2018. Through finding their contacts and address, the

researchers were able to find each respondent and set the survey form. Furthermore,

the employability of the graduates was also considered to analyze through the

research methodology that has been used throughout the entire research process. This

also aims to consider the problems that they have encountered through the

employment process and how they have cope with it to solve. Recommendations has

been made for better improvement of the research and the school involved.

Statement of the Problem

This study attempted to profile and to determine the status of the BSED Graduates

of Bicol State college of Applied Sciences and Technology Batch 2018 and aims to

answer the following questions:

1. What are the personal profile of the BSED Graduates Batch 2018 in terms of:

a. Gender

b. Permanent address

c. Course

2
2. What is the average waiting time of the Bsed graduates of 2018 on finding their

first job from the time of earning their degree?

3. What are the reasons for the delay for the time gap from the time of earning their

degree and their first employment?

4. What are the reasons for the delay on having their first employment?

5. What are the profile of their current employment status for the BSED graduates of

BiSCAST 2018 in terms of:

a. Source of information for job vacancies on finding their current job

b. Name of organization/company

c . Type of organization

d. Current status of employment

e. Address of their org/company

f. Sector

6. What is the job status of BSED graduates of 2018 in terms of:

a. Designation/current position/rank

b..Type of organization/business

c. Date of appointment/ date started

d. Monthly income/ annual income range

3
7. What are the levels of the percieved professional competencies of the BSED

graduates of 2018 along with:

a. Academic Knowledge

b.Problem Solvingskill

c. Research Skills

d. Learning Efficiency

e. Communication Skills

f. Information TechnologySkills

g. Work Competencies

h. mastery of the subject.

8.What is the average number of graduates who arepuirsuing further studies along

with their:

a. Program

b. Level

c. College or University

Assumptions

1. The BISCAST graduates has acquired enough skills and competencies needed

for employment

4
 2. Quality of education, adequate trainings, and the values that they have

obtained from college are determinants of their employability status.

SCOPE & DELIMITATION

This study was conducted to trace the current status of the BSED graduates of

BISCAST batch 2018 on which covered the school year 2017-2018. From a total of

109 BSED graduates of BISCAST batch 2018, there are 22 graduates in BSED-

Mathematics, 20 graduates in BSED-Physical Science, 26 graduates in BSED-

English, and 41 graduates in BSED-TLE

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms are defined conceptually:

Annual income range-The highest to the lowest possible amount of money a person
earns in one year from all sources before taxes.

Status of Employment-it refers to the status of a graduate whether he/she is

employed, unemployed, underemployed or self-employed

Professional competencies this refers to the abilities needed to perform task or role
in the organization.

Snowball technique-it is a method of tracing respondents, where graduates look for

the other graduates who are the subject of the study

5
Type of organization- the type of organizational structure where they are employed

in whether it is a private, government owned, NGO, or he or she is self employed.

Job status- graduate's professional position, condition, or standing to which varying

degrees of responsibility, privilege on his or her current employment

Sector- An area or a part of economy that includes certain kind of job they belong

Tracer Study -it is a type of study wherein the researchers gather the current profile

or status of the BSED graduates of BISCAST batch 2018.

BSED graduates -this refers to the Bachelor of Secondary of Education major in

Mathematics, English, Physical Science, and Technical and Livelihood Education

(TLE) students who graduated on 2018 and will serve as the respondents of this

study.

LET -it is the acronym for Licensure Examination for Teachers.

Employment -it refers to a business relationship between two parties that is usually a

contract where work is paid for.

Competencies -this refers to the particular qualities specifically the attitudes,

behavior and skills that an employer desired for the employees to possess.

Employed -this refers to the employment status where graduates have a paid job and

their job is in line with their course.

6
Unemployed -this refers to the employment status where graduates have no paid job

but available to work.

Self-employed -this refers to the employment status where the graduates have their

own business.

Underemployed -this refers to the employment status where the graduates ha a paid

job but not in line with their course.

Academic knowledge means the knowledge acquired at a college,university,or

similar institution

Research skills refer to the ability to search for, locate, extract, organise, evaluate

and use or present information that is relevant to a particular topic.

Learning efficiency-refers to how to make learning more efficient and personal by

means of technology

Communication skills are abilities you use when giving and receiving different

kinds of information

Problem solving skills refers to our ability to solve problems in an effective and

timely manner without any impediments

Information technology skills are abilities, knowledge and talents related to the use,

administration, development, design, architecture and management of technology

7
Work Competencies-are the knowledge, skills and abilities, and other requirements

that are needed for someone to perform a job successfully

END NOTES

Schomburg, H. (2003). Handbook for Graduate Tracer Studies: Centre for Research

on Higher Education and Work,University of Kassel, Germany

http://www.qtafi.de/handbook_v2.pdf

8
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literatureand studies,theoretical and

conceptual framework,and synthesis of the state-of-the-art.

Tracer Study

Throughout the immerging change in our system of education and social

reforms, highly anticipated graduates have been produced every year searching for

their own success and meaning for their lives. School institutions continued to do

research for the future and to achieve the quality education for our own sake. Tracer

study becomes an important tool to obtain that goal of education. And that is to

have each graduates landed their jobs and to apply all essential skills, values, and

knowledge that they have learned in college. Tracer studies can be defined as

retrospective analyses of graduates through a standard survey, which takes place

sometime after graduation. Tracer studies are also known as graduate surveys, alumni

surveys or graduate tracking, European Training Foundation (2017). Tracer study

questionnaire topics can often include questions on study progress, the transition to

work, work entrance, career, used of learned competencies, current occupation and

bonds to the educational institution.

McCoy, D., 2020, in his future ready improving graduate employability skills

states that employability skills and attributes are the high level generic attributes that

9
are necessary to allow Irish graduates to contribute to and thrive in a complex and

uncertain future. In the future, the ability to question, collate, present and make

judgements is increasingly important.

Mcllveen, P., 2018, in his defining employability for the new era of work

revised definition of employability as a “psychosocial construct that embodies

individual characteristics that foster adaptive cognition, behaviour, and affect, and

enhance the individual-work interface.” Employability is reflected in an individual’s

career adaptability with informs his knowing the difference between what is

appropriate and inappropriate training and, if choice is available, making an informed

and meaningful decision and taking actions that benefit the individual.

Harvey, L., 2020, state that employability is the acquisition of attributes

(knowledge, skills, and abilities) that make graduates more likely to be successful in

their chosen occupations (whether paid employment or not). Employability usually

refers to the employment of graduates but this includes self-employment. A broader

definition includes any lifestyle choice, or refers to employability as the development

of abilities to ensure graduates are critical life-long learners.

Gines, A. 2014, in her study entitle Tracer study of PNU graduates reveal that

PNU graduates are predominantly females in their early twenties that enrolled at PNU

because of affordable tuition fee and the personal prestige attached to the name for

better employment and career advancement. Great number of them were employed

10
immediately after graduation. The graduates’ level of satisfactory were very high

satisfactory.

Aquino, A., Punongabayan, E., Macalaguim, L., Banyon, S., Rodriguez,Jr,

R.,and Quizon, G., 2016, in their Teacher education graduates tracer study from 2010

to 2014 in One State University in Batangas, Philippines conclude that high

percentage of respondents are LET passer, employed in public schools at the time of

the study, Their present job, mostly professional in nature, was alsotheir first job and

relevant to their degree.

Hazaymeh, E., and Dela Peña, M. in their Tracer study of La Salle University

College of engineering graduates, the respondents who are mostly single, dominantly

male, who are mostly from BS Computer Engineering and BS Civil Engineering and

graduates within 2008-2010 did not pursue graduate studies. These graduates were

employable as they got their first job within the first six months after graduation.

Vong, C., 2015, in his tracer study 2014 graduates of year 2012 (Royal

University of Phnom Penh), state that the Royal University of Phnom Penh has the

trust and confidence of the stakeholders and the public. Most of the graduates leaving

the University had many opportunities to get jobs, even though they had little or no

initial working experience before graduation. The University has been producing

qualified educational practitioners to serve the national educational needs; a majority

of them had many opportunities to work in a wide range of public fields such as the

public or private sectors, government institutions, and various private sectors. In

11
terms of the academic perceptions, many of them were generally satisfied with the

qualifications and skills attained from the RUPP. The majority of programs at the

RUPP were intended to produce thigh school teachers, but now, through the findings

of this study, it is clear that many new graduates are working in various fields rather

than the majority becoming teachers.

Cassar, E., 2017 in his graduate tracer study conducted in Malta, aiming to

address the main challenges for Maltal’s higher education system states that out of all

graduates that are currently in employment, 54.3% indicated that their job, which

appear rather low. The study had shown that there is an institutional as well as

cultural divide between academic and vocational education in Malta. Most graduates

reasons for studying mentioned personal development (59.4%) and expertise in the

subject area (47.5%). At the end, students are satisfied with the educational

experience. The graduates’ reasons for not pursuing further studies, answers that

individuals need to work for financial support during studies, however this leaves

them with very limited time for studies.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Labour Market is a term used by economists for all different market of labour.

Labour market theory are explanation of how to determine wages and how workers

are to be paid to their different jobs. Labour differs by type of work, skill level and

location. The market determined where people will work and how much did it cost.

This is an explanation of why one group of workers earns more than the other group

12
(such as skilled one vs. the unskilled). Most of the graduates are working, that means

theytake part in the labour market.

Human Capital are all collective wealth of creative skills, knowledge, talents,

traits, judgment, and stored experiences embodied in the employees of a company.

Skills that bring economic value to the busses. The term human capital was used in

the late 1950 and early 1960. References spoke of human capital in terms of labour

used toproduce manufactured goods. Theodore Schultz (1902-1998) expanded the

term to include the value for human potential. Adam Smith (1723-1790) in his book

“An Inquiry into Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” states that

improvements to human capital through training, education and experience make the

individual enterprise more profitable, but also add to the collective wealth of

society.Human Capital Theory puts forward the concept that investments in education

increase future productivity. Irving Fisher was the first economists to develop a

theory of capital (including human capital). According to Fisher with his book “The

Nature of Capital”, his aim was to supply the long-missing link between the ideas and

habits that govern business management and theories of abstract economists. This

theory emphasized that education is an asset to a more opportunity in the field of

market.

Social Capital is defined both as the social resources available to a person via

their contacts (Lin 2001), and the perception the community that a person is

trustworthy and civically engaged (Putnam 1995). Social Capital Theory contends

13
that relationships are resources that can lead to the development and accumulation of

human capital. For example, a stable family can support higher education to his

family that results to a highly valued skills and credentials. In other term, social

capital can be defined as the social relationships that yields to a productive benefits.

Career Development Theory explain how a person can set up their career

development plan for success. Through a positive view of their ability, surrounding

themselves of positive persons, a person has a better chance of achieving their goals.

Some of the Career Development Theories are the Holland’s Theory of Career

Choice, the Super’s Developmental Self Concept Theory, Bandura’s Social Learning

Theory and the Ginzburg’s Theory of Career Development. In Holland’s Theory of

Career Choice it state that in choosing a career, people prefer jobs where they can be

around others who are like them.The Social Learning Theory of Bandura emphasizes

the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional

reactions of other

Labour Market Human Capital

Theory Theory

2018 BSED GRADUATES OF BISCAST: A

TRACER STUDY

14
 Social Capital Career
Theory Development
Theory

Figure 1. Theoretical paradigm

Synthesis of the state-of-the-art

All tracer studies for consecutive years that are available in BISCAST

library attempted to profile the graduates to determine their employability status.

Valuable information such as the nature of employment,length of their services on

their first job,subjects handled, and an attempt to analyze their average salary has

been added on this tracer study. This study can be distinguish from the other works by

focusing the problems of every fresh graduate looking for their first job and tried to

work with possible solutions. It also includes the analysis of each respondent

regarding their perception on school's services and on what areas will it has to be

improved. This study focused on the four programs namely BSED-TLE,BSED

MATH,BSED-ENGLISH, and BSED-PHYSICAL SCIENCE. As majority tracer

15
 studies in BISCAST library primarily focused on only on one academic program to

be studied although this research is limited for those graduates of batch 2018.

Conceptual framework

The Figure 2 shows the Conceptual paradigm of BISCAST graduates of

batch 2018. The research uses the IPO(input-process-output) model to conceptualize

the flow of this investigation. The collection of their personal profile including their

sex, age,civil status,educational attainment,residency,eligibility ,and information of

their employability status, the problems they have encountered,and their perception

of the school services was collected through processes of planning, distribution of the

survey questionnaire, the retrieval, tabulation and analysis of data. The desired output

was made for the purpose of this research to improve school's curricula,the services

of the faculty,and to assess the employability and competency of BISCAST graduates

of Batch 201

Input

Personal profile of BSED Graduates

Batch 2018 along:
Output
a. Sex
b. Age Improve school's
c. Civil Status
Process
curricula
d. Educational Attainment
e. Residency Generate trainings and
f. Eligibility
projects for the
Employment status along: Planning graduates

a. Nature of employment Distribution of the survey Improve the services of

b. Length of service questionnaire the faculty
c. Subject handled
d. Waiting time before Retrieval Asses the employability
employment 16 and competency of
e. Salary Tabulation and analysis of data BISCAST graduates of
through the questionnaire and Batch 2018.
Problems they have encountered
statistical treatment
 Figure 2. Conceptual paradigm

END NOTES

Colarte, C.(2007) Tracer Study of Education Graduates Employed in Ozamiz

CityDivision retrieved from

https://Isu.edu.ph/offices/research_and_extension/lasallian_research_forum/

Volume_14/

vol_14_no_21tracer_study_education_graduates_employed_ozamiz_city_division

17
 Hazaymeh, E. and Dela Peña, M., A Tracer Study Of La Salle University

College Of Engineer Graduates retrieved from

https://Isu.edu.ph/application/files/1114/7193/8568/Vol._18_No._1 hl_-

_A_Tracer_Study_of_La_Salle_UniversityCollege_of_Engineering_Graduates.pdf&

ved

Cassar, E. Graduates Tracer Study retrieved from

https://ncfhe.gov.mt/en/research/pages/graduate-tracer-study.aspx&ved

Vong, C. (2015) Tracer Study 2014 Graduates of Year 2012 (Royal

University of Phnom Penh) retrieved from

http://www.rupp.edu.kh/center/qac/files/Tracer_study/Tracer%2520Study%202012-

14.pdf

Aquino,A., Punongbayan, E., Macalaguim, L., Banyon, S., Rodriguez,Jr, R.,

And Quizon, G.,(2016) Teacher Education Graduate Tracer Study from 2010 to 2014

in One State University in Batangas, Philippines retrieved from

https://www.apjmr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/APJMR-2015-3.5.2.06.pdf&ved

McCoy,D., Future Ready Improving Graduate Employability Skills retrieved

fromhttps://www.ibec.ie/-media/documents/ibec-campaigns/campaign___smarter_wo

rld/future_ready_improving_graduate_employability_skills.pdf&ve

18
 Mcllveen, P., (2018), Defining Employability for the New Era of Work

retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/

323257779_Defining_employability_for_the_new_era_of_work_A_submission_to_T

he_Senate_Select_Committee_on_the_Future_of_Work_and_Workers&ved

European Training Foundation(2017) retrieved from

https://www.etf.europa.eu/sites/default/files/m/

CEDE612F00BFF6B3C125181A600278816_Tracer%2520studies.pdf&ved

Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter addresses on how the proposed problem will be investigated and

how the researchers gathered the data towards the objectives of this research. It

19
includes the presentation of the following elements: research design, the respondents,

research instrument,data gathering procedures and the statistical treatment used.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study used the descriptive research design to gather valuable information

and relevant insights of the BSED graduates of BISCAST batch 2018using

questionnaires and personal interviews. Descriptive survey design is easy to organize

and very efficient to gather population data. These can be achieve using closed-ended

questions to have a concrete conclusion for every respondents both qualitative and

quantitative data. This method is best when describing the population and to know the

extent on which several questions have been made. The researchers then records and

interpret the answers for data analysis to attain the main purpose of this research.

RESPONDENTS

The respondents of this study are those graduates of Bachelor of Science in

Secondary Education batch 2018. This will covered those 109 graduates from the four

programs offered in BISCAST namely BSED-TLE,BSED MATH,BSED-ENGLISH,

and BSED-PHYSICAL SCIENCES .

Table 1. Number of respondents for each academic program of BSED graduates

Batch 2018

Program MALE FEMALE TOTAL

BSED ENGLISH 5 21 26

20
 BSED TLE 14 27 41

BSED PHYSICAL
6 14 20
SIENCE

BSED MATH 11 11 22

TOTAL 36 73 109

From the 109 BSED graduates of BISCAST batch 2018, there are 22

graduates in BSED-Mathematics, 20 graduates in BSED-Physical Science, 26

graduates in BSED-English, and 41 graduates in BSED-Tle

Table 2. Distribution of BSED graduates of batch 2018

Programs No. of graduates Traced Percentage

BSED ENGLISH 26

BSED TLE 41

BSED PHYSICAL
20
SCIENCE

BSED MATH 22

21
TOTAL 109

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

A survey questionnaire was used by the researcher provided by BISCAST

Student development Services (SDS). Small revision has been made to suit the

needed data for this research. The Graduate tracer Survey was divided into 6 parts (A.

Personal information, B. Employment information, C. Profile current employment

status which are divided into 3 sub parts 1. Empoyer’s details, 2. Job ststus, 3. Self

employment details , D. perceived Professional competencies of graduates. E. Plan

for further studies and asking information for their classmates.

All parts of the survey questionnaire attempted to answer the proposed

problem. The first part aims to profile the graduates. The question number 1 part B.

(employment information) in the survey attempts to answer the statement of the

problem number 2. Question number 2 in the questionnaire is related to main problem

number 3 number (What are the reasons for the delay for the time gap from the time

of earning their degree and their first employment?) and question number 3 attempts

to answer the problem 4. What are the reasons for the delay on having their first

employment .

22
 From question number 4 and 5 in the tracer questionnaire, and all questions

from part C.( profile of current profile employment status) intended to answer each

parts of main problem number 5 ( What are the profile of their current employment

status for the BSED graduates of BISCAST 2018) and 6. ( Current job status). And

lastly the part D. provided question designed in a likert scale to determine their

perceived personal and professional competencies of the graduates for the main

problem number 7. The part E. of the questionnaire asking them if they are currently

pursuing further study for our last main problem number 8 (What is the average

number of graduates who are pursuing further studies). And the last part of the survey

asked the students to give the contact information of their close classmates or

batchmate for the advantage of the researchers by using such snowball technique.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

The researchers collected the list of all graduates of BSED batch 2018 in

graduation yearbook. The year book provides information needed such as their

contact number, home address and email. A questionnaire was sent to their email

addresses through a link that will be provided to directly answer the survey of a

google form format. The data of their answers will be collected and saved from the

google account of the researcher. Each researcher was assigned to find these

respondents using the information and wait for a specific time for their feedbacks or a

face to face interview was conducted by the researcher using their available home

address. The researcher also tried to find their facebook accounts. If other contact

23
information was not available or outdated on their yearbook, and snowball technique

was applied. The researcher tried to find their groupchats to acquire the necessary

number of respondents needed for the research.

Statistical treatment of data

The data gathered was tallied and analyze for the purpose of the research’s main

objectives. Percentages and weighted mean was computed using its frequencies to

come up with different interpretations. The researcher used the following formula:

Percentage:

R
P= where ,
N

P= percentage

R= number of respond

N= total number of respondents

Weighted mean:

∑fx
= where,
n

== =weighted mean

n= number of respondents

x= rating

24
 f= frequency

Frequency was tallied for each responses generated by the google forms.

Percentage was used to determine the overall responses to create graphs and charts.

Weighted mean was use to find the mean of a data set in which not all values are not

equally represented. Ranking system was used for the positioning of every data

values according to ranking scale used.

25
 END NOTES

Lopez, M. Rana,L., Reobaldez,R “ Tracer Study Of Bsed Major in

English,Mathematics and Physical science garduates of Biscast A/Y 2009-2013.”
(Undergarduate Thesis,BISCAST,2016)

Orines,F.(2012) Next Century Mathematics. Phoenix publishing Inc, Quezon

Avenue,Quezon City pg. 528

Bluman, A.(2009) Elementary Statistics.,Mcgraw Hill Inc,121 avenue of

america,New york city pg. 103

Weighted mean formula(2014) retrieved from

https://www.statisticshowto.com/weighted-mean/

26