Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The feedback of graduates of the academe on its employability status,career

destinations,and development in meeting the demand of the labour market has now become

a significant study to the administrators,faculty,students and government

institutions,specifically, the Commission on Higher Education. Tracer study is seen as the

requirement of Commission on Higher Education for public and private institutions.

In connection with the above statement, the Cebu Technological University Danao Campus

conducted this graduate tracer study for engineering students who completed their study

programmes in 2008 up to 2017.The academe’s aim was to provide information about the

whereabouts of the graduates after completing their studies. This tracer study took as a

learning opportunity to determine the employment rate of the graduates from 2008 to 2017

and to assess the Cebu Technological University Danao Campus as an education provider.

Tracer study was developed years ago and some of the researchers were able to give

description and functions of the tracer study .

The intent of the program is to organize he standards for delivering its worth through

evaluating and teaching effectiveness which is the tracer study ( Wolf and Gowin,
1980).The criteria for rendering judgement of the outcomes is the measurement of the main

objective of the program.To identify the extent as to what the students can achieve, there

is an evaluation of the instructional objectives of the program (Gronlund, 1981).

Tracer study determines the relationship between the higher education in institution and

work in the industry (Tekichler,1981).The gathering of information about the

scenarios,characteristics and results of programs which can benefit by a particular people

to reduce inconsistent decisions, and improved and developed effectiveness with regards

to the programs being performed is called program evaluation (Patton,1986).

Tracer study conducted in connection with the status of graduate surveys for the re-

constructing of study programs. The purpose of graduate survey were to identify the

possible means in order to refer from the professional activities of the graduates and also

it aids to examine the changes in the career pattern of the graduates in order to provide a

basis of evaluation of the current programme and it provides a continuation of the process

of evaluation of the performance of the University (Holtkamp and Tecichler, 1983). In

order to make good decisions, the systematic approach involving gathering and analysis of

data which is evaluation should be perform (Gina,1998).To maximize the use of the

organization’s resources to attain the organizational goals and objectives, managerial

responsibilty plays an important role as one of the definitions of evaluation

(Leveriza,1990).To help people make options about future programming, evaluation is

designed which is a type of research. The aim of the evaluation is not to substitute the

experience and judgement of decision makers but to achieve fair and non partisanship and

also to strive hard to perform the level of visual aspect of those who have an interest in the

system (Alkin,1990).
The two broad elements of the basic types of evaluation are determine. These are the level

of the programme that is focused and function performed through evaluation. In assessing

the effectiveness of the programme of the academe, what is immediately manifest from

this multiple term is that there is no limitation of process evaluation to the programme

development (Chen,1996).

Tracer study used as a tool to address the response of the graduates in meeting the needs

of the industry due to changing economy (Weber et al.,2000). When the graduates are in

the higher educational institutions , they need to gain and develop the quality and skills as

their attributes. These are in preparation for their future undertakings ( Bowden et al.,2000).

Most of the graduates had performed intellectual skills needed in their present job

employment right after graduation (Kimani,2002).The most useful skills student learn at

the higher education institutions are factual knowledge and critical orientation ( Debono,

2002).

Various countries throughout the world are trying to make closer between the necessities

and goals of their education program, the local,regional job markets and their economies

to the nation. Argument between people and organizations need to grasp news skills and
intellectual abilities at regular time in order to meet the struggles and obstacles in a

changing environment (Unwin,2003)

The tracer survey gives reliable information of the academe with regards to the evaluation

and training which plays a great role in the industry. The information accumulated may

used for the higher education outcomes in order to have a progress in the institution

(Schomburg, 2003).

Employability can be affected by the job market in the aademe, skills, and knowledge

developed and improved by education and training (Psacharopoulos at el 2004).

The Graduate tracer study has proven to be an effective method in getting fast and accurate

inputs for the purpose of ensuring the human resources produced by the academe that is

timely and relevant in meeting the changing demand of labour market (Dato’ Seri

Mohammed Khaled bin Nordin et al.,2006).The students would learn on their own when

universities will improve their quality of teaching and training in the curriculum.To be

closed to other universities both national and international levels, Universities should set

level of qualification to meet and develop their standards. This is to justify that universities

must be participants and investigators on the advancement of technologies so that they

could mirrored the labour market (Ramos, 2006).

Tracer study is use to secure quality graduates in the academe which is currently a demand

for the Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines.Tracer study provides reliable

information with regards to the skills and knowledge that must be acquired by the
graduates to meet the demand in the labor market in connection to their field of

specialization (CHED Graduate Tracer Study Manual,2006)

To guarantee that the graduates take the higher education outcomes development to

meeting the demands of the labour market according to their respective professions,the

academe have been exerted an effort to give students at its best such as facilities and

instructional materials needed and also to improve learning capabilities and the

surroundings (Colarte,2007).Tracer studies are necessary to determine the value of training

to the economy and the job market(BTEP, 2007).

Tracer studies give quantitative-structural data with regards of the employability status,

contribution of the academe towards the industry, work-related vaues and the information

on the whereabouts of the graduates (Millington, 2008).

Graduate tracer study is the adequate instrument in ascertaining the capability of the

graduates of the academe to meet the demand of the market place (Guzman et al.,2008) .

The graduate tracer studies concerns the determination of graduates in the job qualification,

lead time and employment status, where the knowledge absorb in the institutions are used
to get duties and responsibilities, job , in promotions, and job acceptance (Guzman et al,

2008).

Tracer study is a scientific method which involves observing the status of the graduates

after completing the programme of the academe (Shuttleworth, 2008).This includes about

the steps of the research and also with the outputs through methodological possibleness

such as survey conduct and the results transmission(Heidemann 2010, Flotcher 2010,

Herrmann 2010, Dillman 2008, Grooves, 1989).

To accredit the program study, tracer study is use in justifying the connection between the

labour market and the curriculum. Tracer study visualizes the differences and positioning

of the respective universities and colleges.Tracer study modify universities and academe

managing integrated education in different countries which makes educated and indication

based decisions about the quality, services and progress in the academe (Schomburg,2011).
Tracer study can be use to impart causal justifications of the importance and the reliability

of the study situations,works and curriculum and the quality of the employability status of

the graduates(Teichler et al.,2011).

Tracer study shows system problems,occurrences, and passage within which the graduates

would meet the quality of education of the academe (AfriQ’Units, 2011).

A good employee has a good personal values which makes a good foundation of the

company because most of the employers look deeper into personal values, characteristics

and behavioral traits that spell success (Loretto, 2012). Some of the very much contribution

to the nature of work are work-related values such as love for truth,professional integrity,

supportiveness , love for God, punctuality , perseverance, hardwork, punctuality,

perseverance, hardwork, efficiency and courage (Laguador and Dotong, 2013).

To ensure the relevance of the programme, it should be monitored timely because it serves

as a guide to achieve the objectives of the new curriculum and it plays an important role in

knowing the different kinds of learning offered (Laguador & Dizon, 2013).

Tracer study is a graduate study that updates the employ ability status of the academe which

enables the professional from private and public institution to distinguish the higher

education outcomes through dynamic ,reliable and relevant system (Mubuuke et al.,2014).

The graduates are now part of the labour force to the development of a certain industry

due to some of the contributions they have incurred. After completing the
programme of the academe, the graduates are ready to different professional lives to

perform their skills and knowledge and values in order to be a part of the solution for the

progress of the nation (Dotong,2014).

This tracer study can obtain feedback from the graduates about what are the possible

contributions of the higher education institutions in the dynamic demand of the industries

that can be improve and develop (Egesah, Wahome, Langat and Wishitemi, 2014)

In 2016, Schomburg defines tracer study as a combination of oral and written form

standardised survey of the graduates of the academe which happens after graduation

exercise.

The institution should consider the possible planning activities that might be deliver to an

industry as basis for further improvement .Lack of information, knowledge and skills

should be avoided so that the graduates can contribute the possible needs in the industry .

The work-related values of the employees would cause a great help in improving the

companies to its best. However, it should be nourished first before completing their studies

in a certain academe (www.idpublications.org)

In response to the need of the labour market, a tracer study may help to enhance the

relevance and the responsiveness of further higher education.

In the tracer survey, some common problems affecting employ-ability status of the

graduates have been mentioned by most of the researchers. These problems are as follows.

Gender, age at start,type and severity of disability were some of the factors related to rates

of employment to the people of New Zealand. It can cause lower rates of employment and

engagement of work force(New Zealand Ministry of Health,1998).As for gender,men

dwell a social role connected with providing the basic needs for their families financially

while women have to be responsible enough for children and household chores and even

when it comes to management aspects which is based from the suggestion of social roles

theory (Eagly, 1987).

Men have been found that they promoted earlier and paid more than those of women and

have good leadership skills as compared to women.(Rudman &Kilianski, 2000).Hence, the

performance of female employees has its possibility to lessen, but not for men (Jordan et

al., 2012).

In employment setting, marital status discrimination and gender has nothing to do with the

skills acquired by the graduates which is literally been found out since 1990 in the top

seven industrial/organizational psychology journals (Nadler, Bartels, Sliter, Lowery, &

Stockdale, 2013; Ruggs et al., 2013). This entails that this have not been taken into serious

attentions from the past years since it has seen that sexual attitude from the past research

can result in an unfair decisions of the workplace (Griffith & Hebl, 2002; Ragins, 2008;

Ragins & Cornwell, 2001).It is illegal to discriminate based on marital status according to
the law which has been stated by Marital Status and Gender Bias Despite 21 since marital

status are still required mostly in job employment (Unmarried America, 2012). Marital

status is often used to identify his or her basic information,commitment and also benefits

to be availed in the organization (Beattie,1991).

Students who seeks for a high financial return after they have graduated will soon realize

that it is more important to what course they should have taken up than to what university

they have wanted to attend (Australian Graduate Survey, 2014).

Academic performance has also been used by employers in hiring graduates to indicate if

the graduates have cognitive abilities and other work-related values especially in screening

fresh graduates applicants which will be prioritize first during selection process (Imose and

Barber, 2015,Roth and Boko, 2000 ).

GPA is a placeholder for the ability of the graduates and a key indicator of both the passage

to the job market and the quality of the workforce performance which is showed by the

conducted meta-analysis (Kuncel et al.,2004)

The CBI place an indications on graduates achieving a positive attitude as a key factors

that would cause a great help to their employability; . They note that employers value and

accept graduates who can establish an entrepreneurial and advanced approach, and creative

thinking which brings fresh perspectives and challenges presumptions.

With this matter, employers are very particular with the attitudes and outlooks including

motivation, perseverance, and dedication. Employers and their respective organizations

thought that the particular meaning of employability were less significant than the accepted

focus on how to boost organizational skills and concepts (UKCES,2009).