1 Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction As the new millennium embraces the endless journey of the changing generation, student centered approach and performance based assessment become various instruments in bringing out the best of the learner’s capabilities. This is one of the essential goals of the teachers that needs to be achieved and accomplished. However, it can only be possible if teachers have the ability to teach and the manifestation of the different competencies and skills such as the ability to prepare lesson plans, instructional materials, and research papers, the ability to think critically, to communicate with other people and a lot more. These, will lead the teachers to effectively impart knowledge to students. These skills serve as the key in making the journey of teachers more meaningful and transformational in terms of the success and triumph of the students. In addition, they can be weapons to fight against the never ending needs of the present generation and the educational system, especially that the main focus now is on the measurable outcomes based on the observed performance of the students, that is why different educational reforms had been implemented and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) paved the way in meeting the demands of current challenges and trends of today’s generation. From the traditional way of teaching down to the modernized one, the continuing journey of teachers is clearly seen as they need to become flexible enough to adapt vast changes. For this reason, the demand of today’s generation is to produce learners who do not only excel in academics but also in the field of applying and performing what they have learned inside the classroom, that is why Outcome Based Education (OBE) started to arise. This is considered as one of the models 2 of education which aims to assess learner’s potential and ability through giving them variety of observable activities more than what textbooks or any reference materials could possibly provide. In this way, students can perform what they know and what are they capable of in line with their capacity. Furthermore, the need of exposing the students in real life situations and concrete outcomes is very essential in order to immerse them with what is expected in reality. It can also help them hone the skills and competencies they possess in order to become successful professionals in their own chosen field. Hence, the extent of the level of achievement of the learners will also be a reflection of the performance of the teachers and on how the curriculum greatly contributed to the development of learner’s abilities. For this reason, tracer studies had been conducted globally as it gives a reliable assessment and basis in improving curricular programs in a particular institution. At the same time, it provides an immediate feedback in making the curriculum relevant and appropriate to the type of learners in the present generation. According to Schomburg (2010) in many countries, conducting tracer studies is a formal requirement for the accreditation of study programmes. In line with this, tracer studies have been proven effective as it gives an avenue for improvement toward progress and development. He also (2010) also said that Education institutions are also increasingly interested in feedback from their former students to improve their study programmes, and to show new applicants how their graduates have managed the transition to employment. This only means that the main purpose of conducting a tracer study is to have a proof regarding the effectiveness and relevance of the curriculum. 3 Furthermore, Chorvy (2015) said that curricula need to be precisely defined in terms of outcomes or expected competencies, skills, attitudes, and knowledge to be achieved by graduates. It only means that the performance of the graduates has a great connection with how they had been taught and the quality of the content in line with the curriculum. Thus, Outcome Based Education serves its purpose as it prepares the learners to give the best of their ability before they graduate. In this case, it is expected that graduates are highly competent and can manifest the different competency skills. These skills are very important as they serve as one of the factors in producing holistically developed graduates. Since the demand of teachers is gradually arising, tracer studies conducted around the world are mostly about the graduates who had taken education as their course. Through this, teachers must possess the different competencies and skills since it has been proven that it will help the teachers to effectively impart knowledge to the students. Through the different tracer studies about teaching conducted around the world, the prevalent skills and competencies are Lesson Planning, Preparation of Instructional Materials, the Use of variety of methods, Communication skills, Information Technology Skills, Problem-Solving skills, Critical thinking skills, Human relations skills, and Research skills (Colarte, 2010).These skills are of paramount importance as they will be one of the reasons in making the teachers become highly qualified and experts. Moreover, these skills are to be not only manifested but also applied for the needed qualifications of the in order to lessen the scarcity of quality teachers around the world. Such tracer studies determine the extent of the impact of the curriculum among graduate students. Its contribution has a great effect to the expected performance and level 4 toward the acquired competencies and skills which will surely help them to be not only qualified but also effective and efficient professionals in their own chosen career. Conducting a tracer study in the Philippines has been an attestation to test and examine if the different bachelor’s degree programs in teacher education were still “effective, adequate and relevant” (Gines, 2014). Especially now, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in partnership with the major higher education stakeholders, generates a vision to promote relevant, efficient and quality higher education. In the same way, Tarlac State University – College of Education shares the same role and the goal of providing quality training among its students. As of now, Tarlac State University – College of Education was re-accredited Level III by AACCUP, Inc. Furthermore, TSU-COED is considered to be a “Center of Development in Teacher Education”, which only implies that the institution provides preparation for the students to be competent and highly qualified graduates in the teaching profession. In the year 2006-2007, English and Filipino were added to the BSED programs. At present, BSED English program of TSU- COED has been producing graduates for ten years. It was said that “one of the ways of evaluating an educational institution is by its graduates” (Punzalan, 2014). Furthermore, the graduates of a certain institution will reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum and the type of training they received during their pre-service teaching. The graduates of the BSED English program made a history in passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) two years ago by obtaining a 100% of passing rate. It is with this very reason why this study aimed to trace the BSED English batch 2014-2015 not only to locate them but most significantly to find out if the training provided by Tarlac State University College of Education is sufficient in 5 their teaching career and if their teaching and competency skills were developed, the employment status of the graduates as well as their achievements in the field and if the support services provided by TSU-COED is adequate. This study explored as well on how the findings of the study will improve the BSED English program and if it can be a reference point to produce another 100% passing rate among its prospective graduates. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to trace the BSED English graduates of Tarlac State University – College of Education and how the BSED English program and the institution helped them in their teaching career, hence the study sought to answer the following: 1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of: 1.1 General Information; 1.2 Employment Data; and 1.3 Continuing Professional Development? 2. How did the BSED English program of TSU-COED contribute to the development of the respondents’ teaching skills and competencies: 2.1 Lesson planning; 2.2 Preparation of Instructional Materials; 2.3 Use of variety of methods; 2.4 Communication skills; 2.5 Information technology; 2.6 Problem-solving skills; 2.7 Critical thinking skills; 2.8 Human Relation skills; and 6 2.9 Research skills? 3. How would the respondents rate the quality of support services they received from TSU-COED? 4. How useful are the different major and professional subjects being offered in the BSED English program in the respondents’ teaching career? 5. What is the implication of the study to the BSED English program? Significance of the Study This study aimed to figure out the general information, employment data, and continuing professional development of the respondents, the acquired teaching skills competencies, the usefulness of different major and professional subjects and the support services received of the BSED English graduates of Tarlac State University, College of Education batch 2015 only. The results will serve as a basis to provide feedback for the improvement and development of the curriculum or program. To the TSU Administrative Official, this study will serve as a basis for further improvement of the curriculum and programs. Moreover, it will help them meet the current demands and needs of the new generation. At the same time, it will fasten the implementation of enhancement of a program in order to immerse the learners with what is current and latest. It also serves as a reflection on how the curriculum and the quality of support services contributed to their success in the field of teaching. To the English teachers of COED, the result of the study will serve as feedback to determine the strategies used in teaching English. In addition to this, the usefulness of the different topics and pedagogical theories will be shown as a basis for improving the 7 academic performance of the students. It will also motivate them to produce quality and globally competitive students possessing the needed teaching skills and competencies. To the students of BSED major in English, this study served language as their guide in pursuing the course and motivating themselves to become successful teachers. It will also help them feel driven to learn that will lead in maximizing their potential and they will be willing to be fully equipped with competencies and skills as they will become efficient educators in the future. To the future researchers, the result of the study will serve as a source of information and related study to the future researchers who will explore on studies of the same concern. Scope and Delimitation This study aimed to determine the general information, employment data, and continuing professional development of the respondents, obtained teaching and competency skills, the quality support services offered by the TSU-COED and the usefulness of the major and professional subjects being offered by the program in the teaching career of the BSED English graduates batch 2015. The general information includes the age, sex, civil status, and the respondents’ present address. In addition, employment data encompass the present employment status of the graduates including employment history and their first job. Likewise on the continuing professional development, it covers the continuing professional development activities that the respondents participated and their professional development needs. The graduates of BSED English batch 2015 are the respondents of this study. There were 40 graduates of BSED English and 40 graduates took and passed the Licensure 8 Examination for Teachers. The researchers located all of the respondents, however, only 36 respondents were able to return the questionnaires. Definition of Terms Academic. It is defined as the courses of study taken at a school (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). In this study, it refers to the usefulness and contribution of the major and professional subjects taken by the respondents provided by the TSU-COED under the BSED English program. Communication Skill. It is defined as the ability to convey information to another effectively and efficiently (Business Dictionary, 2017). In this study, it refers to the ability of the respondents which they have developed to process and transfer information through verbal or written messages effectively. Competencies. It is defined as an ability or skill (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). In this study, it pertains to the skills the respondents have acquired through the help of the BSED English program. Continuing Professional Development. It is the process of improving and increasing capabilities of staff through access to education and training opportunities in the workplace, through outside organization, or through watching others perform the job (Business Dictionary, 2017). In this study, it refers to the training and seminars that the respondents had or still have after graduating in order to maintain and develop their teaching skills. Critical Thinking Skill. It includes the component skills of analyzing arguments, making inferences using inductive or deductive reasoning, judging or evaluating, and making decisions or solving problems. (Lai, 2011) In this study, critical thinking skill refers 9 to the ability of the respondents to analyze, evaluate, and to make good decision in dealing with different circumstances in their field of work. Employment Data. It provides information on how the job title and compensation were determined. In this study, it refers to the first job that the respondents had as well as their current job. General Information. It is defined a set of characteristics that identify or are thought to identify a particular type of person. In this study, it refers to the profile of the respondents including their name, age, sex, civil status, address, etc. Human Relation Skill. It is a discipline within resource management which addresses interpersonal behaviors. (Business Dictionary, 2017) In this study, human relation skills are the developed skills of the respondents as professional teachers. These skills are the way the respondents treat their learners and other people properly inside and outside the school. Information Technology Skill. This relates to the knowledge and abilities needed to accomplish mathematical, engineering, scientific or computer-related duties, as well as other specific tasks relating to technology. In this study, IT skills refers to the ability of the respondents on how to integrate technology with language learning. Instructional Materials. These are the tools used in educational lessons which includes active learning and assessment. (Janovsky, n.d.) In this study, instructional materials refers to the ability of the respondents to prepare good and suitable instructional materials which could aid the needs of their learners. 10 Journey. It is the act of travelling from one place to another (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). In this study, it refers to the progress of the respondents of how the BSED English program helped them to succeed in their teaching career. Lesson Planning. In this study, lesson planning refers to the ability of the respondents to make a precise and good lesson plan which has been developed by Tarlac State University - College of Education, under Bachelor of Secondary Education program. Major Subjects. These are the academic disciplines to which an undergraduate student formally commits. In this study, it refers to the usefulness of the major subjects, which had taken by the respondents, in the development of their knowledge and skills for their teaching career. Method. It pertains to a particular form of procedures for accomplishing or approaching something especially a systematic or established one. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017) In this study, methods are the varieties of methods in teaching which the respondents have possessed to involve their learners in meaningful teaching and learning process. Problem-Solving Skill. It is the ability to work through details of a problem to reach a solution. (Business Dictionary, 2017) In this study, problem-solving skill refers to the ability of the respondents to provide and engage their learners to seek solutions from the real-life problems using the English language. Professional. It refers to a job that requires special education, training, or skill (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). In this study, it refers to the respondents obtained 100% passing rate in LET which made them professionals in the field of teaching. 11 Professional Subjects. These are college-level courses designed to target those who are in, or about to enter, the workforce in corporate, government or technology fields. In this study, professional subjects refer to the education-related courses which helped the respondents to develop their teaching skills. Program. It is defined as the plan or system under which action may be taken toward a goal. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017) On the other hand, it concerns the BSED English program which is the one that the researchers would want to enhance in this study. Research Skill. It pertains to lead an original contribution to knowledge in a particular field of inquiry by defining an important question or problem and then answering or solving it in a systematic way. In this study, research skill refers to the developed competency of the respondents to conduct a research study. Success. It is defined as the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). In this study, it is defined as the progress of the respondents in terms of their current profession and career. Support Services. These are the functions or activities which are required for successful completion of a process, program, or project. In this study, it pertains to the facilities, equipment, or even trainings provided by the Tarlac State University, College of Education to the BSED English graduates. Tracer Study. It measures the quality of graduates through the employability and transformation they gained as they exposed themselves to the real world. (Flomo, 2013) Teaching Skills. It is defined as a group of teaching acts or behaviors intended to facilitate students learning directly or indirectly. In this study, it refers to the teaching skills 12 which had developed by the respondents under BSED – English program of Tarlac State University, College of Education. 13 Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter presents the related literature and studies which are relevant to the present study done by the researchers. This chapter will provide the conceptual background for further understanding of the research. Related Literature From the book Contemporary Social Problems and Issues by Sanchez, et. al. (1997), it stated that the Philippines is the highest in Asia when it comes to the levels and literacy rates of the workers, but speaking about the facilities, technology, manual, and other things that could help the work of a person easier are poor and not enough in supply. The purpose of the book is to show the realization that even graduates coming from the different educational institutions may experience difficulties to be employed if they are not being well-prepared by the university in terms of providing trainings and programs that could help them to enhance their skills and competencies and to get an appropriate job related to what course they had finished in a university. Also, a series titled “Follow-up and Tracer Studies” gives descriptions to the competencies, skills, approach, and techniques used and applied from being a student in a particular university turning to be a worker in a chosen field of work. It is important for the new graduates to be guided by assisting them through different trainings and exposing them to the different seminars and programs that could enhance their performance. And through the help of the educational resources planners and human resources planners, it is more easily to design and conduct survey to be answered by the graduates to assess young people’s mind (Hallak, 1998). 14 Lange (2001), on the other hand, stated that conducting a tracer study is one of the ways to have a reflection regarding what kinds of training curricula a particular educational institution has, how it can adapt to the changes as it adds new elements into its own programs to improve the delivery of curriculum, and how it helps to plan and to monitor the various programs in terms of which courses needed to add, revise, and phase out to fulfill the needs of every learner. On the other hand, due to the different demands arising from generation to generation, education has been greatly developed when it comes to the approaches, methods, techniques, and designs of the courses or programs for giving what is best and what is duty bound in giving higher learning to the learners. A tracer study is a powerful tool in assessing and maintaining curriculum relevance. Also, it seeks to find ways in making the programs more effective, efficient, and adequate for the betterment of an educational institution (Millington, 2003). However, the Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy - Teacher Education Program Admission Criteria and What Beginning Teachers Need to Know to be Successful Teachers, Casey (2007) studied on how North American prospective teachers should be evaluated throughout the education programs. She stated on what attitude, knowledge, and skills that a beginning teacher should have. Her study revealed that teachers should have content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical skills, and they should possess respect towards others, enthusiasm, motivation and dedication in teaching, and fairness for them to become successful in their teaching career. Also, she stated that written profile, interview, standardized tests, letters of reference, and student teaching performance, are big factors in evaluating teachers. 15 While according to Chandra (2013), the field of education is experiencing rapid changes due to the successful revolution of technology and how globalization affects the society and the people’s mind. Due to the higher expectations of the society, it results to a higher rate of educated people who are unemployed. In line with this, the quality competence of the graduates being produced by an educational institution is not enough to meet the standards of the field of work they are applying for. Therefore, through the date coming from a graduate tracer study, evaluating, monitoring, and planning should be done by the educational administration to improve and to level up the learning competencies that must be acquired by the prospective graduates from the program which they are enrolled. Although, in a book titled Carrying Out Tracer Studies-Guide to Anticipating and Matching Skills and Jobs stated that tracer studies are powerful and effective tool which are being widely and commonly used in higher education but also often applicable in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector of education only. Also, data coming from the researchers who conducted educational institutional tracer studies usually use to provide feedbacks on how effective the context of education reforms, projects, and programs were to the part of the graduates in a particular educational institution. Furthermore, tracer studies conducted by many researchers serve as a guide to improve the curriculum and at the same time to enhance the skills and competencies of the prospective graduates which would be a good help to the transition from school to work (Schomburg, 2015). Moreover, A Journal of Education and Practice titled Conducting Graduate Tracer Studies for Quality Assurance in East African Universities: A Focus on Graduate Students’ Voices on Quality Culture wherein on one hand, it says that universities and other higher 16 education institutions in East Africa need a guide for tracer studies for it stands an essential role in assuring quality education. On the other hand, through the help of the different feedbacks, commendations, and suggestions coming from the graduates as from what they had experienced during their bachelor’s degree study in a university and transition to the field of work intensively help to achieve quality of education and to improve the support service and the various curricular programs at the university (Badiru, 2016). Since one of the uses of tracer study is to locate if the graduates of a certain institution are employed, still the Philippine Statistics Authority (2016) verified the employment rate in January 2016 was estimated at 92.5% in Central Luzon, wherein workers in the services sectors comprised the largest proportion of the population who are employed. These workers made up of 53% of the total employed in January 2016. However, the unemployment rate was estimated at 7.5% in Central Luzon, wherein 19.7 of the unemployed were college graduates. Employed persons are divided into the following categories: wage and salary workers, self-employed workers without any paid employee, employers in own family-operated farm or business, and unpaid family workers. In January 2016, the wage and salary workers had the highest percentage of 63.2% of the total employed who works for private household and establishments, government and government-controlled corporations. Jimeno (2016) noted that studies show that 22% of the unemployed are college undergraduates while 19% are college graduates. According to her, there is a disconnection between the curriculums from the demand of other sectors. Also, she stated that traditional courses are still being offered which could not cater the demand of different industries nowadays. 17 In a feature article wrote by Eddio (2016) in Baguio Herald Express Online, she tackled about the importance of undertaking Continuing Professional Development (CPD). It was said that there are numerous reasons why teachers pursue CPD which includes having higher positions that can be done through attending special training and workshops, resource speakerships, graduate studies, action researches and published works among others. Furthermore, Republic Act 10912 also known as the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 requires all professionals to have CPD units before teachers can renew their PRC licenses. However, there are also some who are not into CPD because they prefer to spend more time with their families, they have a lot of clerical jobs in school, they are not given opportunities to attend given by DepEd and some have already been teaching for several years that they are expert in the field. Furthermore, the teaching skills and competencies are defined and why the following are essential based from different authors just like Marbas (n.d.), who stated that preparing instructional materials is important, because these are being used to improve students’ knowledge, abilities, and skills, to monitor the students’ progress and to contribute in their development. Also, it fosters and sustain the interest of the students to learn better. Waetjen (1960) also argued that it is an essential need for teachers to learn and improve their human relation skills for one of the goals of a teacher is to build a harmonious relationship not just with the learners but also to the other people around him. Also, it helps to improve the teaching-learning process for it was discovered that by possessing human relation skill, it helps to find new educational practices and techniques such as learnercentered activities. 18 On the other hand, Cotton (1991) enumerated the various ways in which it shows the importance of manifesting critical thinking skills. It is important to note that critical thinking skills are important to the development of an educated person. Also, it serves as a requirement for every professional for them to become more responsible and to think not just critically but also creatively. Lastly, it is an edge for a professional teacher if he or she is equipped with critical thinking skill and lifelong learning especially in looking for a work that is suited to his or her capabilities. Likewise, Lovat (1995) stated that having a goal of producing quality and effective researcher teacher is common in the field of education. In the present time, making conceptual plans and doing some research are just some of the responsibilities of a teacher as it helps for the development of reflectivity. In line with this study, Rudduck (1985) proved that research skills are essential for the educators so that they will become expert with the continuous evaluation of their work. O’Neill (2009), in addition, specified that the effective teachers use best techniques and methodologies to cater the needs of different students. A good teacher knows how to structure the learning process to expose the students in different way of learning efficiently. Also, Mallick (2012) stated that lesson planning is important, because it provides freedom in teaching, affords adequate lesson summaries, and encourages continuity in the teaching process. It allows the teacher to use the desirable teaching procedures systematically. Similarly, Sabio (2012) stated that students’ support services is an essential function in any higher education institution. Most schools believe that providing good quality of support services generally helps the development of students’ competencies, life skills and habits of academic excellence. 19 While according to Silver (2016), communication skills encompass all the macro skills which are listening, speaking, reading and writing that teachers need in order for them to transcend in their profession. Teachers who are already proficient communicators have the ability to acquire, comprehend, and synthesize information. Furthermore, teachers who have good communication skills have ability to express themselves at a high level. It is also necessary for teachers to obtain communication skills since it can be used in teaching individuals or group of learners, communicating to parents, and interacting with colleagues and supervisors. Equally, Blackwell (2017) stated that teachers need to engage themselves with technologies which are familiar to their students. In the same way, The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) discussed that a literate person possesses a wide range of abilities and skills which includes from online reading newspaper to participating in virtual classrooms. However, there are some teachers who cannot incorporate technology inside the classroom since they do not have adequate knowledge in using them. While Mandal (2017) verified that problem-solving skills is one of the crucial life skills that anyone should possess. Its major goal in education is to help students learn with various ways which can support them in applying what they have learned to solve problems. Moreover, problem solving is fundamental to educators since they desire to enhance the learner’s ability to solve problems. He also stated that by teaching learners the effective problem solving techniques, learners will be able to gain confidence, acquire school readiness and even achieve academic success. Through these studies, it helped the researchers to support the findings and results they had gathered in such a way of addressing the strengths and weaknesses of the BSED 20 English program and out of these the researchers made recommendations which will be beneficial to the administrative officials, English teachers, BSED English students and to the future researchers in terms of improving more the BSED English program. Related Studies A. Foreign In the “Employment Status of the English Graduates 2006-2008”by Campus, et. al. (2008), it revealed the possible reasons why there are graduates who are employed and unemployed. The authors wanted to show the programs used by AB Journalism graduates in honing their different skills that could help them to their professional careers. However, the program must be widely open with the revisions that would lead the graduates to their respective field of their chosen profession. On the other hand, Shongwe (2010) conducted a tracer study named A Tracer Study of LIS Graduates at the University of Zululand 2000-2009. The researcher aimed to know if the graduates are employable, whether the curriculum is related to LIS job market and to find out the graduates’ perception about the LIS curriculum. Fifty graduates participated in the study and a questionnaire with both structural and unstructured questions was used. He found out that most Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates are working in the government sector just like in national, municipal hall and municipal libraries. The results of the study revealed that cataloguing and classification and experiential learning were critical knowledge and skills that will serve as a demand in LIS-related jobs. The respondents of the study admitted that they were happy for what they have acquired in the curriculum just like the different skills and knowledge that are helpful in seeking jobs. Nonetheless, there was a feeling of no satisfaction for the graduates regarding the 21 curriculum itself for some other reasons. Furthermore, the study also recommended that the institution or department should begin a curriculum programme process which includes internship programme and LIS modules with technology related subjects that will benefit the information-science students. Chorvy (2014) conducted a tracer study in Royal University of Phnom Penh Quality Assurance Unit for graduates of 2012. The study targeted 1,450 graduates wherein 570 graduates were drawn as the samples. However, only 565 graduates were successfully reached and able to respond in the survey instrument. The main focus of his study is to seek information about the graduates’ employability, how do the respondents searched for their job, how does the university trainings helped them to obtain their job, how do the respondents do well in dealing with their job, and to survey the quality of education that the respondents undergone provided by the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Chorvy used both quantitative and qualitative methods in collecting information. Questionnaire was used in interviewing the respondents. The questionnaire is divided into six different groups of questions: personal information, working experiences of the respondents before and/or during the study, knowledge and skills that the respondents learned in the university, methods of job searching and the period of time that the respondents had in searching for job, graduates’ satisfaction with the quality of education provided by the university, and the recommendations of the respondents in the said education program. During the interview, trained interviewers were monitored by the QA staff to make sure of the reliability and validity of the said interview. His study resulted that 86.4% of their graduates got employed twelve months after they graduated. On average, RUPP graduates earn approximately US$100 to US$ 2,000 monthly. According to his study, 45.3% of the 22 respondents pursued graduate education. Finally, the research concluded that MA labormarket should establish relevant programs by the university. A tracer study in Kenya titled University Graduate Tracer Studies (Unitrace): Methodological Lessons and Utilization of Selected Results at Moi University focused on the different methodological processes and lessons of the first graduates’ tracer study which could be useful to the university in evaluating the different programs. The objectives of the study are the following: document methodological procedures for graduate tracer studies, reflect on the study facilities, and to generate information banks for stakeholders. Also, there is a reflection coming from the different point of views of the graduates regarding to the different programs and learning environment for dealing with higher learning in Kenya. More males than female graduates of 2009 coming from the seven faculties of Moi University in 2011 are the respondents for this study. Results show that the respondents searched for employment through various study programs undertaken regardless of their specialization and grades obtained in ICT. Graduates consider most salary and choose jobs in the private sector which pays well. However, the respondents are undertaking additional studies especially in ICT to suit in their current job. Finally, the study concludes that tracer studies are helpful in identifying the methodological design in both intrinsic and extrinsic context. The study also concludes that Moi University should embrace graduate tracer culture and activity for its own benefits. (Egesah, et. al.,2014). Mugwisi (2015) conducted a tracer study about the graduates of Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the National University of Science and Technology, Bulayo, Zimbabwe. This study focused on the current employment status, the suitability of the competencies acquired and the impact of curriculum among the graduates. 23 Moreover, the aim of this study is also to determine if the training and preparation of the graduates are enough for them to become successful professionals. Tracer studies are really designed to locate where the graduates are and their current job. Based from the study of Mugwisi, the findings have shown that majority of the graduates are employed in universities which can give a great impact to the curriculum and to the rate of satisfaction of the graduates to the training given by the institution. For this reason, the training received by the graduates and the curriculum have a great contribution to the success of one’s profession and in shaping a better future. It only shows that the coherence and alignment of the curriculum toward the expected learning competencies needed by the graduates are highly important as it will assure them employability. It also gives a great support with which the quality of student learning relies within the curriculum, the faculty and the effectiveness of the curriculum (Bateman, n.d.). In connection to this, curriculum greatly affects the learning outcomes as it will be reflected to the performance of the graduates that is why most tracer studies include different variables not only to determine what the graduates have achieved, but also to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. In this way, it will be easier to remedy what has been lacking in order to continuously produce highly competent graduates. The cited studies from Campus, et. al. (2008), Shongwe (2010), Chorvy (2014) and Mugwisi (2015) aimed to know the employability of the graduates which is similar to the study of the researchers to determine if the respondents’ first job and recent employment is aligned in teaching. On the other hand, the study administered by Egesah, et. al. (2014) focused on the different methodological processes and lessons of the graduates which could be useful in evaluating different programs while Mugwisi (2015) also determined if the 24 training and preparation of the graduates were enough for them to become successful professionals. These tracer studies are connected to the researchers’ tracer study where in their main intention is to find out the sufficiency of the training provided by the institution, the enhancement of the teaching skills and competencies of the respondents, the employment status of the graduates as well as their achievements in the field and the adequacy of the support services allocated by the Tarlac State University – College of Education which will be useful in improving the BSED English program. B. Local In the study of Colarte (2010) she made mention about the training, employability and accomplishments of the graduates of La Salle University who are now employed in the Division of Ozamiz City. Based from the findings, it was shown that most of the graduates of LSU dominated the teaching force of the Division of Ozamiz. Since most of them are now employed, it has been proven that the satisfaction of the respondents toward the support services is at peak. At the same time, the acquired teaching competencies contributed a lot to the current status and employment rate of the respondents. The findings have shown a positive impact to the curriculum with regards to the academic performance of the respondents in teaching. Descriptive method was used as it provides a reliable description of the present situation of the respondents. In the study, most of the graduates were employed immediately because of the high satisfaction rate and the effectiveness of the different subjects offered by the curriculum, it might also be possible to come up with the same positive result since most of the respondents in our study were also employed but not all them are in the field of teaching. 25 Punzalan (2010) conducted a tracer study among the graduates of the Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Physical Science of the College of Education, Tarlac State University SY 2009-2013. He made use of quantitative method in collecting data about his respondents’ general profile, employment status, and competencies. He found out that most of the respondents are living in the province of Tarlac and majority of them are ages 23-26 year old and most of them are females and unmarried. His study shows that only two among the respondents finished their master’s degree and only few are still pursuing their master’s degrees during the time of his study. Also, majority of the respondents passed their Licensure Examination for Teachers in their first take. It was also revealed that majority of the respondents are employed and considered as permanent teachers. Almost half of the respondents are public teachers and other half is private teachers. It was also proven that most of the respondents’ first jobs are in line with their course. Finally, only few graduates stayed in their first job because of salary benefits, and career challenges. Dumas and Dumlao (2011) made a tracer study titled Graduate Tracer Study of the Bachelor of Elementary Education, S.Y. 2004-2009. They used quantitative method, and aimed to find information about the respondents’ employment status and the viability of the BEED program. Based from the study they made, they found out that there were only 51 respondents who were licensed professional teachers and only 2 were CSE qualified. Among the 51 respondents who were LET eligible, there were only 5 holders of masters’ degree, and no one among the respondents was a holder of doctor’s degree. When it comes to employment status, 37 respondents were stable with their current job while 19 were contractual. Moreover, among the competencies measured, the first in the list that most of them agreed to be the most important competency that needs to be developed especially 26 for their field of expertise is communication skill. Next to that is human relation skill, and last on the list is the entrepreneurial skill. The 75% of the respondents of this study agreed that the skills and competencies that they are manifesting in their profession or work are relevant to their curriculum, and those who answered NO did not give any recommendation or feedback for the betterment of the curriculum. A tracer study is a great help for an educational institution to improve its different programs, learning environment, facilities and services. In a tracer study titled Tracer Study of PNU Graduates, Gines (2014) stated that the result of the tracer study proves the satisfaction of PNU graduates of 2009-2011 in particular to the skills and competencies that they were able to acquire to their respective bachelor’s degree programs. Furthermore, the respondents also showed a great satisfaction to the curriculum, facilities, learning environment and the services offered by the PNU. It also looked to the strengths and weaknesses of the different bachelor’s degree programs in teacher education to consider if the effectiveness of the curriculum is still evident, sufficient to the needs of the learners, and if it can easily adapt to the complex changes as what the standards of this world gives in the field of education such as Teachers in the 21st century, the Competency Framework of South East Asian (SEA), and the upcoming ASEAN 2015 integration. This study used a descriptive survey to identify the current status and the transition from school academics to employment of the PNU graduates. An educational tracer study conducted in PNU supports the findings of a tracer study devised in Visayas State University wherein the curriculum can also be guided by giving seminars and workshops to the prospective graduates to enhance and to develop their teaching skills and competencies and for them to become holistically competent as they go to the real world of education. 27 Abela (2015) also conducted a tracer study for the graduates of Visayas State University under Bachelor of Secondary Education and Bachelor of Elementary Education programs SY 2005-2012. The results of the study showed that there was a high employment rate among the respondents; however, some of the graduates changed their job because of salaries and benefits. Still, few are considered as unemployed and never been employed because of no job opportunities. The study implies that there were no job vacancies or positions for new teachers. Still, the respondents assured that the knowledge and skills which they have gained under VSU are very useful. Nevertheless, the respondents still suggested an improvement in the curriculum of VSU by asking to provide more trainings and workshops. This study also focused to the personal attributes, abilities, and teaching skills of the graduates since these factors contribute a lot to the success of each graduate to their field of work. In addition to that, this educational tracer study was successfully done through the use of a written questionnaire to get the feedbacks and suggestions of the respondents. Likewise, a research titled Teacher Education Graduate Tracer Study from 2010 to 2014 Batangas State University, Aquino, et. al. (2015) conducted a tracer study for graduates of education who are qualified to work here and abroad. The study had 129 respondents composed of 70%-90% of unmarried or single graduates while there were 30%-39% married respondents. The study found that more respondents from BSED program obtained a degree than the respondents of BEED program. Majority are Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) passers are employed in public schools. It took time before all of the graduates to have a job. Most of them stayed because of economic reason and most of them found the communication skills relevant to their jobs. The researchers 28 applied the descriptive survey method of research. They used a survey questionnaire based on Commission on Higher Education graduate tracer study, which is slightly modified for the purpose of the study. The data gathering process commenced in the last quarter of 2014. After six months, only 129 questionnaires were successfully retrieved by the researchers and these were used for the study. Of this number of respondents, 19 came from batch 2010, 23 from 2011, 28 from 2012, 29 from 2013 and 30 from 2014. The 129 respondents who willingly participated in the study were characterized by a preponderance of females over male as females constitute 66% and males made - up 34 percent. Further, a higher degree of response was turned- in by unmarried or single graduates (90 or 70%) as opposed to those who were married (39 or 30%). Rojas, et. al. (2016), on the other hand, traced the employment profile of Cebu Technological University which was published in a European Scientific Journal – College of Education Graduate Tracer Study (GTS): Boon or Bane?, showed that the College of Education graduates were proven competent and employable in government schools. It was revealed that her respondents exhibited successful teaching employment in the public schools. The study utilized mix methods of descriptive survey using thematic analysis, which covered the Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) and Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) degrees, from 2005-2006 and 2008-2009 graduates of Cebu Technological University, Main Campus College of Education (CTU-MC CoE). In ascertaining the status of this tracer study, the descriptive method of research was used. The total number of graduates from 2006 to 2009 combined with BSED and BEED was 937. The number of respondents who responded to answer the questionnaire with the four 29 different batches was 351. Through this, the researchers calculated that the response rate that they had was 37.46%. The studies conducted by Dumas and Dumlao (2010), Aquino, et. al (2011) and Rojas, et. al. (2015) focused on tracking the employability of the respondents while the study made by Punzalan (2010), Colarte (2010), Gines (2014) and Abela (2015) also determined the employability of the respondents yet they also included in their variables the teaching skills and competencies of the graduates. Besides, the results of the findings can be a basis by the researchers as it resembles some of the variables and methodologies used by the researchers. The only difference is that, the researchers of this study included the respondents’ Continuing Professional Development and their ratings of the support services they had received from Tarlac State University – College of Education. Paradigm of the Study Through teacher education program, the students are being taught and trained to become globally competitive teachers in the field of work. Also, it helps the graduates to develop their skills for them to pursue their teaching career. The aim of this study is to find the graduates of Tarlac State University under the program of Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English SY. 2014-2015 and find out their general information including their educational attainment and employment data which can determine if they passed the licensure examinations for teachers (LET), if they pursued their masteral degree, and to identify their first job as well as their current job. Also, this study aims to find the usefulness of the different major and professional subjects which had taken by the respondents. With this, it also seeks for the developed teaching and competency skills by the respondents. This study also aimed the respondents to rate the 30 quality of support and services they received from Tarlac State University, College of Education. Finally, this study seeks to find the implication for the development of the BSED English program. 31 Conceptual Framework BSED English Graduates Developed Teaching and Competency Skill Respondents’ Profile General Information Employment Data Continuing Professional Development Lesson Planning Preparation of IMs Use of Variety of Methods Communication Skills Information Technology Skills Problem-Solving Skills Critical Thinking Skills Human Relation Skills Research Skills Respondents’ ratings for the quality of support services they received from TSUCOED Implication of the findings to the BSED English Program Figure 1: Paradigm of the Study Usefulness of the different major and professional subjects in the teaching career of the respondents 32 Chapter 3 METHODS OF STUDY AND SOURCES OF DATA In this chapter, the researchers discussed the methodology of the research study, the research design, research locale, respondents of the study, data-collection instrument, data-gathering procedure, and statistical treatment, which will be used by the researchers to conduct this study. Research Design The researchers used a descriptive research design to gather the needed information and data for this study. Questionnaires were used for collecting of data to answer the inquiries concerning about the general information, educational attainment, employment data, and continuing professional development, the acquired teaching and competency skills of the graduates, the usefulness of different major and professional subjects in their teaching career and the quality of support services they received from Tarlac State University – College of Education of the BSED English from year 2014 -2015. The researchers collected the data through the use of quantitative approach for determining on how the BSED English program and institution helped the TSU BSED English Graduates batch 2015 in their teaching career. This approach utilized a format instrument that will be much easier for generalizing. The researchers used a survey - questionnaire which is common in a quantitative research to determine the respondents’ judgment. 33 Research Respondents The researchers considered the English major graduate students of Tarlac State University - College of Education, A. Y. 2014-2015, comprising of 40 members, ten (10) males and twenty-six (26) females. The researchers have chosen them as the respondents because their batch had made a 100% of passing rate in the Licensure Examination for the Teachers. However, only 36 respondents were able to return the questionnaires. Data Gathering Instrument The instrument that was used in this study is a questionnaire which composed of four parts. The questionnaire was adapted from different tracer questionnaires from CHED Tracer Questionaire, Colarte (2010) and University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Report on the Graduate Tracer Study – Class of 2012. In the first part, the questions were about the graduates’ general profile, employment data and continuing professional development. The general profile covers the respondents’ present address, e-mail, sex, and civil status. In employment data, the cover was about the respondents’ present employment status which included their first job and employment history. While on the continuing professional of the graduates, it covered if they were involved with different professional activities and their professional development needs. Also, they were asked through the questionnaire if they are taking Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The second part of the questionnaire are checklist encompassing on how did the BSED English program and college helped to develop the different teaching and competency skills in them. While the third part is also a checklist consisting of how they will rate the quality support services they received from TSU – COED. Lastly, another 34 checklist about the usefulness of the different majors and professional subjects of the respondents in their teaching career was be used. Data Gathering Procedure The researchers of the study used survey questionnaires as their data gathering tool. The questionnaires were distributed to the graduates of BSED English batch 2015 of Tarlac State University – College of Education through Facebook messaging, text messages, phone calls and in-person. The researchers asked the former class officers of the said batch to send the questionnaire in their group chat through Facebook messenger. Also, each researcher was given a task to locate seven (7) respondents. However, the researchers had difficulty in asking for responses since most of the respondents were busy with their present career. Since some of the respondents were not able to answer the questionnaires in-person, therefore, phone calls and Facebook messaging were utilized. Three (3) questionnaires were given in-person, while the remaining thirty-three (33) questionnaires were given through Facebook messenger. Moreover, the researchers scheduled specific time for the respondents to answer the questionnaire and were given time to think about their responses. Statistical Treatment The researchers of the study used frequency and percentage to describe the profile of the respondents in defining of how the BSED English program developed the teaching skills and competencies, and the impact of the different professional development activities and CPD needs, as well as the degree of usefulness of the different major and professional subjects’ competency and how they will rate the quality of support services provided by Tarlac State University – College of Education. 35 Table 1 Range CPD Impact 4.50 – 5.00 Excellent 3.50 – 4.49 Good 2.50 – 3.49 Moderate 1.50 – 2.49 Poor 1.00 – 1.49 Extremely Poor CPD Needs Teaching Skills Very High Level of Need High Level of Need Moderate Level of Need Low Level of Need No Need At All Very Highly Developed Highly Developed Moderately Developed Fairly Developed Poorly Developed Support Services from TSU COED Major and Professional Subjects Excellent Extremely Useful Good Very Useful Moderate Useful Poor Somewhat Useful Extremely Poor Not Useful The researchers used the following formula to get the weighted mean in describing or interpreting the results of the answer of the respondents’ weighted mean (𝑥̅ ) will be used with the formula as follow: (𝑓1 𝑥1 ) + (𝑓2 𝑥2 ) ) 𝑥̅ = ( 𝑛 Ʃ𝑓𝑥 𝑥̅ = ( ) 𝑛 Where: f = frequency x̅ = weight n = the number of respondents 36 Chapter 4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA This chapter presents, analyzes and interprets the data attained from the respondents’ questionnaires. It also discusses the findings in relation to the formulated problems in the study. The data gathered were statistically treated to come out with frequencies and weighted mean. Also, the data were analyzed by the researchers to collect the data needed for the present study. This chapter also presents data using tables with their textual interpretations. 1. Graduates’ Profile The graduates’ profile encompasses the general information, employment data and continuing professional development of the respondents. The general information exposes the respondents’ place of origin, age, sex, and civil status. While the employment data reveal the employment rate, unemployment rate, type of jobs, employment status, field of teaching, and length of service in the teaching profession of the respondents. On the other hand, CPD includes the professional activities participated by the respondents and the impact of these activities to them, the respondents’ CPD needs, post studies, and their reasons for pursuing post studies. 1.1 General Information General Information refers to place of origin, age, sex, and civil status of the respondents. In this table, it gives an idea regarding the common locations or permanent living areas of the respondents in the province of Tarlac and even outside of Tarlac, and it reveals the expected age of the respondents during the time of the study and in the present 37 time. Moreover, it shows the dominance between males and females in the field of teacher education, and lastly the civil status which is common to majority of the respondents. Table 2: Distribution of the Respondents According to Place of Origin Place of Origin Tarlac Province Tarlac City Outside Tarlac Total Frequency 24 10 2 36 Percentage 66. 67 % 27. 78% 5.56% 100% Table 2 refers to the place of origin of the respondents which shows that majority of the respondents are from the different municipalities of the Province of Tarlac specifically in Bamban, Camiling, Capas, Concepcion, Gerona, Lapaz, Mayantoc, Moncada, Paniqui, San Jose and Victoria. And only 5.56% of the respondents are residing outside Tarlac particularly in Nueva Ecija and Pasay City. Meanwhile, 27.78% are from Tarlac City. In line with this study, Punzalan (2010) also conducted a tracer study considering all the graduates of the Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Physical Science in which he also came out with the same result that most of the respondents are permanently living in the province of Tarlac. It only implies that the TSU-College of Education provides BSED English program mostly on those respondents coming from the different municipalities of Tarlac. Table 3: Distribution of the Respondents According to Age Age 22 21 23 25 27 26 Total Frequency 18 12 2 2 1 1 36 Percentage 50.00% 33.33% 5.56% 5.56% 2.78% 2.78% 100% 38 Table 3 reveals that the range of the respondents’ age is from 21-27. The respondents graduated for the past two years already, but among the 36 respondents, 12 or 33.33% of them are 21 years old. Moreover, 50% of the respondents are 22 years old as what the age is expected to their batch. Meanwhile, the frequency of 2 or 5.56% of the respondents revealed as 25 years old. Furthermore, the age between 26 and 27 both have 2.78% out of 100% or the frequency of 1. To strengthen this study, there is another educational tracer study conducted by Gines (2014) wherein it showed that during the process of studying, 80% of the respondents were in the early twenties or in a range of 2224 years old. It only means that some of the respondents graduated at early twenties while half of the respondents usually graduated at the expected age which is 20. In addition to that, there are some respondents who did not give up easily with their dreams as they graduated older compare to the others. Table 4: Distribution of the Respondents According to Sex Sex Female Male Total Frequency 26 10 36 Percentage 77.22% 27.78% 100% Table 4 shows the general profile of the respondents according to their sex. Most of the respondents are female having 77.22% or the frequency of 26 and only 10 respondents are male. Citing a tracer study conducted by Aquino, et.al. (2015), it confirmed that among all the respondents who willingly participated, the College of EducationBatangas State University is dominated by females having 66% while males are made up of 34%. It may be concluded that a number of females are indeed higher than men in College of Teacher Education for the teaching profession is more appealing to females than males. 39 Table 5: Distribution of the Respondents According to Civil Status Civil Status Single Married Total Frequency 36 0 36 Percentage 100% 0% 100% Table 5 shows that frequency of 36 or 100% of the respondents are single. In the case of a tracer study conducted by Aquino, et.al. (2015), there were 70-90% of single respondents while 30-39% were composed of married respondents. It implies that all of the respondents tend to have a great deal of responsibility as majority of the respondents are teaching in different educational institutions while the others are may also having busy schedule due to the different demands of their chosen field of work. It also means that all of them are continuously developing themselves for their personal and professional growth. Considering their young age is also an indication why all of them share the same civil status. 1.2 Employment Data It is important to note that employment data serve an important role to this study for it shows specific employment rate, unemployment rate, type of jobs, employment status, field of teaching, and length of service in the teaching profession of the respondents. Also, it identifies the achievement of the graduates in a particular institution. Table 6: Distribution of The Respondents if they are Employed or Not Response Yes No Total Frequency 33 3 36 Percentage 91.67% 8.33% 100% Table 6 indicates that among the 36 respondents 33 of them are presently employed and only the frequency of 3 is considered not employed. It only proves that most of the respondents have the ability to get monthly income and some of them are continuously 40 teaching and some are applying the trainings and skills they have acquired such as the communicative skills in the call center industry. In addition to that, since all the respondents are considered as English graduates, it is expected that aside from teaching the second language, there are still lots of opportunities for them to display their wide range of skills and knowledge that could be helpful for them to still be in line to what course they had finished. It confirms the study of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the employment rate in January 2016 was estimated at 92.5% in Central Luzon, wherein workers in the services sectors comprised the largest proportion of the population who are employed. These workers made up of 53% of the total employed in January 2016. However, the unemployment rate was estimated at 7.5% in Central Luzon, wherein 19.7 of the unemployed were college graduates. Table 7: Distribution of the Respondents According to Reasons of Unemployment Reasons End of Contract Missionary Affiliation Studying another Course Total Frequency 1 1 1 3 Percentage 33.33% 33.33% 33.33% 100% Among the 3 (8.33%) of unemployed respondents, the table 6 shows the reasons of their being unemployed are the following: end of contract from the previous job, missionary affiliation, and studying another course. Some of the reasons are connected to their personal lives or pursuing what for them is more important and fulfilling for now while the other reason which is the end of contract pertains to accomplishing all the tasks in a given time period specially if you are not permanently working in an institution, and it is considered as one of the normal processes in a work. Jimeno (2016), in her study, confirms that there are many available jobs, but only few are qualified for the job vacancies. 41 This only implies that most of the respondents’ unemployment is due to their personal choices which will furnish their growth as a human while one of them has still the capacity to be employed again. Table 8: Distribution of the Respondents According to their Types of Jobs Type of Job Teaching Online teaching Call Center Agent Administrative Assistant Technical Assistant Total Frequency 26 3 2 1 1 33 Percentage 78.79% 9.09% 6.06% 3.03% 3.03% 100% Table 8 proves that among all the types of job of the respondents, teaching has the highest frequency for having 78.79%. Next to teaching is the other form of teaching which is the online teaching, and it has a percentage of 9.09%. On the other hand, some of the respondent chose to be call center agents and it got 6.06%% while the other types of job such as administrative assistant and technical assistant both got the 3.03%. It only means that majority of the respondents chose to maintain the strong passion for the teaching profession and others may have some reasons for not taking the path of becoming a teacher. Table 9: Distribution of the Respondents According to Employment Status Employment Status Contractual Regular Temporary Substitute Total Frequency 15 11 5 2 33 Percentage 45.45% 33.33% 15.15% 6.06% 100% Table 9 shows that the dominant employment status of the respondents is contractual which has the frequency of 15 or 45.45% while 33.33% of the respondents are regular. Also, there are 5 respondents or 15.15% who are temporary and 2 or 6.06% respondents who are substitute. This implies that since it was only two years ago since they 42 graduated, it is expected that most of them are contractual but still 33.33% of the respondents were able to have permanent jobs. Table 10: Distribution of the Respondents in the Field of Teaching According to their School School Private High School Public High School Online Teaching Private Private Tertiary Public Tertiary Total Frequency 16 7 3 2 1 29 Percentage 55.17% 24.14% 10.34% 6.90% 3.45% 100% Table 10 shows that most of the respondents who chose to take the path of teaching profession are teaching in the different private high schools which has the highest percentage (55.17%) among all the sectors of education. Second to private school is public school which has 24.14%. Also, 10.34% are in the field of online teaching. On the other hand, the lowest percentage is under the public tertiary education with 3.45%. This reflects that most of the respondents chose and are still in the private schools while 26.92% of the respondents were already eligible to teach in public schools. Still, few of the respondents are already exposed in the modern way of teaching industry which is the online teaching. This implies that English language teachers nowadays do not just teach in a four-walled classroom. Through the integration of the online education, the respondents are able to use the acquired skills provided by the institution in engaging to the other sectors of education. 1.3 Continuing Professional Development Continuing Professional Development (CPD) constitutes of activities and reflective engagements in a range of professional experiences which are substantial to the day-to-day responsibilities of professionals specifically, in this study, the BSED English graduates. Professional development is purposeful to enhance the knowledge, skills and 43 understanding of a teacher that can be applied to enrich students’ learning outcomes. This part of the study includes the professional activities participated by the respondents and the impact of these activities to them, the respondents’ CPD needs, post studies, and their reasons for pursuing post studies. Table 11: CPD According to the Respondents’ Professional Development Activities they participated CPD Activities Education conference or seminars Qualification program Courses/workshops Observation visits to other schools Participation in a network formed specifically for the professional development of teachers Mentoring and/or peer observation and coaching, as part of a formal school arrangement Individual or collaborative research on topic of interest to you professionally Grand Mean Mean 4.86 4.67 4.36 4.33 4.33 Description Excellent Excellent Good Good Good 4.33 Good 3.60 Good 4.35 Good Table 11 shows the professional development activities participated by the respondents for the last 18 months and the impact of these activities in their development as a teacher. Based on the findings, majority of the respondents join educational conference or seminars with the highest weighted mean of 4.86. On the other hand, only few of the respondents partake with individual and collaborative research with a weighted mean of 3.60. This implies that the respondents prefer more attending educational conference or seminars which do not take too much time than any other professional development activities such as the individual and collaborative research. On the other hand, there are also possibilities that some of the respondents are willing to partake CPD activities other than seminars and conferences. However, the respondents are not given a chance to choose 44 what kind of CPD activity they will join since most of the time, seminars and conferences are the only ones which are available and cheaper. Table 12: CPD According to Respondents’ Needs CPD Needs Student discipline and behavior problems Teaching students with special learning needs Content and performance standards in my main subject field(s) Classroom management Knowledge and understanding of my main subject field(s) Knowledge and understanding of instructional practices (knowledge mediation) in my main subject field(s) Student assessment practices ICT skills for teaching Grand Mean Mean 4.15 4.00 Description High Level of Need High Level of Need 3.97 High Level of Need 3.97 High Level of Need 3.82 High Level of Need 3.79 High Level of Need 3.79 3.32 3.86 High Level of Need Moderate Level of Need High Level of Need Table 12 reflects the professional development needs of the respondents. The student discipline and behavior problems got the highest weighted mean of 4.15. This means that the respondents want to have a sufficient knowledge of how they could discipline students and to understand and control students’ behavior problems; whereas, Kowalski (2003) stated that there are reports of problematic behaviors of students in rise not only in the classroom but also in a society at large. By doing so, teachers will be able to help their students to orient their students’ behavior which could help them to avoid conflicts in the class and maintain peace and order. In addition, students can also apply it even beyond the classroom. On the other hand, ICT skills for teaching gained the lowest mean of 3.32 which suggests that the respondents were already literate in ICT and the BSED English program had already provided adequate training in enhancing this particular area for the respondents. Still, the grand weighted mean of 3.86 with the description of high level of need proves that most of the respondents are willing to undergo CPD. 45 Table 13: Respondents’ CPD under Post Studies and Reasons for taking Post Studies Distribution of Respondents in CPD under Post Studies Master’s Degree Frequency Percentage Master of Arts in Education Major in English 7 19.44% Master of Arts in Education major in Education 1 2.78% Management Total 8 22.22% Distribution of Respondents in CPD under Reasons for taking Post Studies Reasons for taking Post Studies Frequency Percentage For Promotion 6 16.67% 2 5.55% For Professional Development Total 8 22.22% Table 13 presents the respondents’ post studies and their reasons for taking it. The first part of the table shows that 19.44% of the respondents are taking Master of Arts in Education Major in English and 2.78% is taking Master of Arts in Education major in Education Management. In spite of obtaining a 100% passing rate in LET, it can be said that most of them did not continue to enhance the skills and training provided by TSUCOED under the BSED English program. Likewise, on the second part of the table, it displays that 16.67% of the respondents are taking CPD for promotion and 55.5% are taking CPD for professional development. It reflects that most of the respondents are taking CPD to have higher or more important positions in the field of teaching because almost fifty percent of the requirements for higher positions involve CPD (Eddio, 2016). While the remaining few are pursuing CPD to refine more of their teaching skills because for some taking CPD is worth the sacrifice since it is beneficial in their part which allows them to learn the changing trends and directions in the teaching profession. Furthermore, CPD will help teachers to be more efficient in work, be interested and willing and most importantly, to gain confidence with their performance at work (Eddio, 2016). 46 2. Teaching Skills and Competencies The following tables are the ratings of the respondents to the extent by which their teaching skills and competencies which include lesson planning, preparation and utilization of instructional materials, use of variety of methods, communication skills, information technology skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, human relations skills, and research skills were developed during their pre-service training in the university. 2.1 Lesson Planning A lesson plan serves as a guide in carrying out daily lessons which encourages continuity in the teaching process. This table shows how the respondents enhanced their skill in writing lesson plans, as it serves as their blueprint and guide to effectively teach lessons. Moreover, a lesson plan is a beneficial tool for teachers to be well organized in terms of day to day activities as it is a roadmap to locate the needed objectives and goals to be met by the teachers. Table 14 Lesson Planning Use of appropriate assessment methods Ability to structure learning activities and to deliver them in the context of real world experiences Systematic organization of lessons, topic and ideas Use of multiple assessment tools (e.g., online quizzes, collaborative projects, rubrics, etc.) Ability to have an organized classroom management and Discipline Grand Mean Mean 4.11 Description Highly Developed 4.09 Highly Developed 4.03 Highly Developed 4.03 Highly Developed 3.91 Highly Developed 4.23 Highly Developed Table 14 shows that one of the indicators in lesson planning got the highest mean of (4.11) which is the “use of appropriate assessment methods.” However, among the other indicators, the one that got the lowest mean of (3.91) is the “ability to have an organized classroom management and discipline.” In this sense, it is very important that in lesson 47 planning we use different methods of assessment. It implies that most of the respondents consider the appropriate usage of assessment methods in lesson planning. It confirms the study of Jabbarifar (2009) that through using appropriate classroom assessment strategies and techniques, teachers can increase students' motivation and show them how well they have learned the language. However, the classroom management and discipline are mostly not being considered. This means that the teachers are not after the classroom setting or the appearance of the classroom. Instead, the teachers prefer to use of appropriate assessment method, in order to determine if the students have learned from the lesson. It shows here that the teacher focus more on the performance of the students, since the present curriculum focus more on the outcome-based education of the students. 2.2 Preparation and Utilization of Instructional Materials Instructional materials are crucial in fostering and sustaining students’ interests to learn better. It also aids the different learning style preferences of the learners. This table shows how the respondents developed their preparation of instructional materials Table 15 Preparation and Utilization of Instructional Materials Ability to use instructional materials to help students produce their own work and meet the instructional goals of the lesson Ability to choose instructional material that contribute meaningfully to the content of the topic under study Ability to incorporate various multimedia and applications in the delivery of the course Ability to prepare and use appropriate stimulating visual aids Ability to prepare traditional instructional materials Grand Mean Mean Description 4.32 Highly Developed 4.21 Highly Developed 4.18 Highly Developed 4.06 Highly Developed 3.85 4.12 Highly Developed Highly Developed 48 Table 15 shows that one of the indicators in preparation and utilization of instructional materials got the highest mean of 4.32, which is the “ability to use instructional materials to help students produce their own work and meet the instructional goals of the lesson.” This means that in creating instructional materials we have to be creative to stimulate interaction and make the learning possible within the class. In line with this is the study, Effiong (2015) stated that there is a positive achievement in students taught by highly qualified teachers and those exposed to instructional materials during lessons. However, the indicator under the “ability to prepare traditional instructional materials” got the lowest mean of (3.85) which indicates that it needs further development. This implies that most of the respondents are not interested in making or preparing traditional instructional materials in their classes or they prefer more using the modern way of preparing materials which are related to technology. In the same way, it is easier to prepare technology-based instructional materials since traditional materials may take time when being prepared by the teachers. Teachers need to balance their time since instructional materials are not the only thing that they need to ready before entering the classroom. Based on the data gathered under information and technology skills, most of the respondents are more capable in using the technology in performing their careers. 2.3 Use of Variety of Methods In catering the needs of the students, teachers should know how to use different methodologies and techniques efficiently. In doing so, lessons can be easily understood by the students depending on how a teacher will carry out a lesson since learners differ in terms of learning styles, strategies, etc. This table shows how the respondents have nurtured their methods in the teaching field. 49 Table 16 Use of Variety of Methods Ability to relate the subject matter to other related topics Use of various strategies ( group projects, teamwork, exchange of posted remarks) to foster interaction and collaboration among the students Setting conduciveness of learning environment for dynamic and interactive learning Ability to explain the lessons with depth Ability to use blended learning approach Grand Mean Mean Description 4.29 Highly Developed 4.21 Highly Developed 4.09 Highly Developed 4.06 3.88 4.11 Highly Developed Highly Developed Highly Developed Table 16 shows that under the use of variety materials the indicator that got the highest mean is the “ability to relate the subject matter to other related topics” of 4.29 mean. This means that in introducing new topic to the learners, they have to connect their prior knowledge to the new ones, so that they will have a meaningful learning. According to Novak (2002), the construction and reconstruction of meanings by learners requires that they have to integrate their schemata to their new knowledge. On the other hand, the “ability to use blended learning approach” got the lowest mean of 3.88. This implies that blended learning is not a usual method being used by the respondents for their students. It also means that the respondents only focus in using one method one at a time which they think is more effective than using two or more methods simultaneously; students may have a hard time grasping the lessons if the teacher do so. 2.4 Communication Skills All macro skills need to be stimulated which are essential in acquiring the English language to produce proficient communicators. Furthermore, teachers are in need to be excellent communicators not only to their students but also to the parents, and their colleagues. This table shows how the respondents nurtured the most used skill in the field of teaching. 50 Table 17 Communication Skills Capacity to communicate effectively with others orally. Capacity to communicate with others in writing. Ability of being open with coworkers and sharing thoughts on important issues. Cohesiveness in verbal ideas, and language and facial expressions. Capacity to interact and collaborate with others effectively, including teams, in the workplace, and in culturally or linguistically diverse contexts. Grand Mean Mean 4.35 4.32 Description Highly Developed Highly Developed 4.29 Highly Developed 4.15 Highly Developed 4.09 Highly Developed 4.24 Highly Developed Table 17 shows that the indicator under communication skills which is the “capacity to communicate effectively with others orally” got the highest mean of 4.35 which implies that their oral communication skills are well developed in a way that they could interact with other people easily especially to their students. Silver (2017) also said that proficient communicators make excellent teachers because they can impart knowledge, skills and values at the while they are communicating with their students. However, the “capacity to interact and collaborate with others effectively, including in teams, in the workplace, and in culturally or linguistically diverse contexts” got the lowest mean of 4.09 which is still considered as highly developed. This implies that with the grand mean of 4.24, with a description of highly developed, the BSED – English program provided adequate training in developing the communicative skills of the respondents. 2.5 Information Technology Skills In the 21st century, technology is already integrated in education. It serves as a modern way of giving instructions and facilitates learning to the new generation. This table displays how the respondents developed their information technology skill which is considered as one of the prevalent tools in executing lessons to millennial learners effectively. 51 Table 18 Information Technology Skills Ability to use digital resources provided by the district, including online productivity tools, content management systems, e-textbooks, mine reference sources, video streaming sites, and learning system in reading and math Ability to use computer as a form of instruction and communication media Ability to design learning activities that use available technology, including laptops, tablets, computer labs, and interactive whiteboards Creates assignments appropriate to the technology abilities of his or her students Ability to use digital resources to differentiate instruction, including using devices for students with special needs, such as computer activities and online materials suited to different reading abilities or learning preferences. Grand Mean Mean Description 4.97 Very Highly Developed 4.62 Very Highly Developed 4.41 Highly Developed 4.35 Highly Developed 4.06 Highly Developed 4.48 Highly Developed Table 18 shows that the indicator under information technology skills which is the “Ability to use digital resources provided by the district, including online productivity tools, content management systems, e-textbooks, mine reference sources, video streaming sites, and learning system in reading and math.” got the highest mean of 4.97. This implies that the respondents are able to integrate the technology and follow the trend which is necessary in performing their careers and teaching the 21st century learners. On the other hand, the “Ability to use digital resources to differentiate instruction, including using devices for students with special needs, such as computer activities and online materials suited to different reading abilities or learning preferences.” got the lowest mean of 4.06. This implies that specialized technology for handicapped learners is not mostly being used by the respondents. Still, Information Technology Skills obtained a grand mean of 4.48 52 which described as Highly Developed. This implies that the respondents’ information technology skill is established well by the university. 2.6 Problem-Solving Skills Problem-solving tests the capabilities of the learners to apply what they have learned. By acquiring this skill, learners will become ready and prepared in facing real-life problems. Table 19 Problem-Solving Skills Ability to identify, define and analyze problems Ability to create solution and evaluate them Capacity to apply disciplinary knowledge to solving real life in relevant communities Analytical skills to examine the consequences of a particular solution Reasoning skills to weigh one solutions against another Grand Mean Mean 4. 15 4.00 Description Highly Developed Highly Developed 3.97 Highly Developed 3.88 Highly Developed 3.88 3.98 Highly Developed Highly Developed Table 19 shows that of all the indicators under problem-solving skills the “ability to identify, define and analyze problem” got the highest mean of 4.15, while both “the analytical skills to examine the consequences of a particular solution,” and “reasoning skills to weigh on a solution against another got the lowest mean of 3.88.” This proved that the “ability to identify, define, and analyze problem” is the most important competency under problem-solving. In fact, according to Jones (1995), analytical approach is also known as "structuring one's analysis." The word analysis means separating a problem into its constituent elements. If people are to solve problems, from those confined to a single individual to those affecting whole nations, one must learn how to identify and break out of restrictive mindsets and give full, serious consideration to alternative solutions. One must learn how to deal with the compulsions of the human mind that, by defeating objective 53 analysis, close the mind to alternatives. Problem –solving Skills got the grand mean of 3.98 which described as Highly Developed. 2.7 Critical Thinking Skills “Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture.” Critical Thinking Skills are one of the foundations that the learners of today must possess in order for them to think more deeply about a certain matter. Also, it widens their capacity of reasoning. Moreover, it helps them to think in their own ways by simply evaluating the information they gained in the past and apply these concepts to come up with new the information. Table 20 Critical Thinking Skills Ability to evaluate and weigh different sides of an Argument Ability to accept nothing at face value, but rather examining the truth and validity of arguments Ability to evaluate the relative importance of ideas Ability to apply reason and logic to determine the merits of an arguments Ability to draw an evaluate conclusions from logical arguments and data analysis Grand Mean Mean Description 4.35 Highly Developed 4.26 Highly Developed 4.21 Highly Developed 4.11 Highly Developed 4.00 Highly Developed 4.19 Highly Developed Under the critical thinking skills, the “ability to evaluate and weigh different sides of an argument” got the highest mean of 4.35. On the other hand, the “ability to draw an evaluate conclusions from logical arguments and data analysis” got the lowest mean of 4.00. In this case, the respondents favored the ability to evaluate and weigh different sides of an argument among the other indicators. This means that the respondents value the decision making of the learners for practical use. According to Braithwaite (2006), thinking 54 critically, clearly and effectively is not an easy process. However, developing critical thinking skills will help to improve the student’s performance at writing cogent essays, clear laboratory reports and answering exam questions more effectively. Critical Thinking Skills obtained a grand mean of 4.19 which described as Highly Developed. 2.8 Human Relations Skills Human relation skills refer to a person who knows how to show sensitivity to others, building a harmonious rapport and having the feeling of being comfortable with different kinds of people. Table 21 Human Relations Skills Cooperates with joy and willingness in school faculty activities Ability to get along with your co-teachers and other stuff Understanding of civil and social responsibilities, human right and sustainability Ability to relate well with your parents/students Ability to maintain a healthy and adequate public relations for your profession and for the school Grand Mean Mean Description 4.54 Very Highly Developed 4.51 Very Highly Developed 4.46 Very Highly Developed 4.43 Highly Developed 4.43 Highly Developed 4.47 Highly Developed Table 21 shows that among all indicators under Human Relations Skills, the indicator which obtained the highest mean is Cooperates with joy and willingness in school faculty activities with 4.54 as its mean and described as very highly developed while both indicators, Ability to relate well with your parents and students, and Ability to maintain a healthy and adequate public relations of your profession and for the school, got the lowest mean of 4.43 as described as highly developed. This shows that dealing with other people having the joy and willingness makes the work place lighter and livelier. According to Segal (2014), along with the cognitive changes, there were also changes on the attitude on 55 the part of both teachers and students as they began to experience actual learning in the classroom. Teachers displayed a rekindled joy and excitement about teaching their students. Instead of discussing what students could not do they excitedly began to relate their positive achievements. Teachers who had displayed pattern of high absenteeism became regular in attendance. Experiencing success produced a new excitement about school and learning in the students. They showed a new sense of confidence in themselves and became actively and intimately involved in learning. The Human Relations Skills got the grand mean of 4.47 which described as Very Highly Developed. 2.9 Research Skills Researchers can still discover so much new information up to the present time. It only means that having research skills are essential because it is a way for the people to have an access to new information, and these pieces of information could be a great help to many people to have a better decision-making in life and career. Also, it helps us to look for solutions to solve the problem through exploring ways. Table 22 Research Skills Ability to summarize information, explain the aims, motives, result and conclusions of the research Ability looking for alternative to common or accepted methods and solutions Ability to gather data and designing a date gathering tool Identifying and designing an appropriate experimental procedure understanding the limitations and scope of an experimental design Ability to identify an appropriate method (Mathematical or otherwise) for interpreting and manipulating data Grand Mean Mean Description 4.11 Highly Developed 4.00 Highly Developed 3.94 Highly Developed 3.91 Highly Developed 3.74 Highly Developed 3.94 Highly Developed 56 Of all the indicators under the Research Skills, ability to summarize information, explain the aims, motives, results and conclusions of the research got the highest mean of 4.11 which described as highly developed while the ability to identify an appropriate method (Mathematical or otherwise) for interpreting and manipulating data indicator obtained the lowest mean of 3.74 which is still described as highly developed. In this result, it shows that ability to summarize information, explain aims, motives, results and conclusions of the research is the most important indicator among all the indicators. According to Norris and Phillips (2003) the reading and writing of scientific texts need more emphasis in science education. Reading in science education involves learning how to comprehend, interpret, analyze, and criticize texts—activities that are central to science. This means that reading will include not only the passive absorption of information but also the active and complex interpretation processes such as analyzing and criticizing. Research skills obtained a grand mean of 3.94 which described as Highly Developed. Table 23: Developed Teaching Skills and Competencies of the Respondents Teaching Skills and Competencies Lesson Planning Preparation and Utilization of Instructional Materials Use or Variety of Methods Communication Skills Information Technology Skills Problem Solving Skills Critical Thinking Skills Human Relation Skills Research Skills Total Mean Overall Mean 4.23 Verbal Description Highly Developed 4.12 Highly Developed 4.11 4.24 4.28 3.98 4.19 4.47 3.94 4.17 Highly Developed Highly Developed Highly Developed Highly Developed Highly Developed Highly Developed Highly Developed Highly Developed 57 The table shows that the respondents rated the development of teaching skills as highly developed. The overall mean of 4.17 means that the teaching skills of the respondents are highly developed. Among the teaching skills, human relation skills got the highest weighted mean of 4.47. On the other hand, research skills got the lowest weighted mean of 3.97. 3. Quality of Support Services Support services are intended to cater the needs of the students inside and outside the classroom setting. These services are considered beneficial in developing the performance of the students as it gives additional help to the teaching-learning process. Table 24: Quality of Support Services Provided by the Tarlac State University – College of Education Quality of Support Services Availability of student development / life opportunities (student guild, clubs, and co-curricular activities.) Availability of work attachment / industry placement opportunities Research opportunities Overall teaching quality Industry relevance Opportunities for interdisciplinary learning in the program (emphasis on connection between different disciplines) Availability of career development services Overall exams administration processes Quality of students records management system Quality of library services Access to academic advice from faculty Availability of counseling services Quality of facilities and equipment Overall admission and registration processes Grand Mean Mean Description 4.36 Good 4.17 Good 4.08 4.0 3.97 Good Good Good 3.92 Good 3.89 3.86 3.81 3.72 3.72 3.69 3.50 3.47 3.87 Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Table 24 shows the rating of the respondents in the quality of support services provided by the BSED – English program of Tarlac State University College of Education. 58 The availability of student development/life opportunities (student guild, clubs, and cocurricular activities) got the highest mean of 4.36. However, the overall admissions and registration processes got the lowest weighted mean of 3.47. This implies that student guilds, clubs, and co-curricular activities provided by the university helped the respondents and should give focus in enhancing the different skills of the students. However, the overall admission and registration processes should be developed to cater the needs of the students. In addition, the study conducted by Colarte (2010) indicated the positive effect of the support services as it has been revealed to the findings that most of the respondents are employed. However, the book entitled Contemporary Social Problems and Issues (1997) contradicts the effectiveness of support services wherein the facilities and support services given are not enough to perform well. That is why there is a need to strengthen these services in order to not only produce literate students but also skilled and competent professionals. Still, the quality of support services provided by TSU – College of Education obtained a grand mean of 3.87 which described as Very Good. This implies that the one reason why the respondents are 100% LET passers is they had enough quality of support services provided by the said university. 4. Usefulness of Major and Professional Subjects Major and Professional subjects are significant to the field of teaching. Competence on both content and pedagogy of the subject matter is the requirement for a successful for teachers to teach effectively. Every teacher underwent to the different major and professional subjects before stepping on the finish line of graduation. These major and professional/field study subjects are the “tools” of every English teacher to apply what they have learned and transfer the knowledge they have acquired to their students. As to know 59 how effective the use of the different major and professional subjects acquired by the graduates under the program of BSED English in their teaching career, they are described as follows: Table 25: Responses of the Respondents to the Usefulness of the Major Subjects Major subject Preparation and Evaluation of Instructional Materials The Teaching of Literature Speech and Arts Literary Criticism The Teaching of Listening and Reading Language and Literature Assessment The Teaching of Speaking and Writing English and American Literature Language Research Afro-Asian Literature Remedial Instruction for English Language Curriculum for Secondary Schools Mythology and Folklore English for Specific Purposes Translation and Editing of Text Introduction to Stylistics Grand Mean Mean 4.71 4.69 4.63 4.63 4.63 4.57 4.54 4.51 4.49 4.46 4.46 4.37 4.34 4.26 3.89 3.74 4.43 Description Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Very Useful Very Useful Very Useful Very Useful Very Useful Very Useful Very Useful Very Useful Very Useful Table 25 shows the satisfaction rate of the graduates on the usefulness of the major subjects in their teaching career as teachers. The responses show that the graduates are satisfied with the major subjects obtaining a grand mean of 4.43 which is very useful. Of all the major subjects with extremely useful rating, the Preparation and Evaluation of Instructional Materials got the highest weighted mean of 4.71 while Introduction to Stylistics got the lowest weighted mean of 3.74. The subject, Preparation and Evaluation of Instructional Materials, was found useful by the graduates because they value the importance of being prepared in making instructional materials as well as being evaluated to the effectiveness of the instructional materials they made for them to be able to teach effectively. 60 Table 26: Responses of the Respondents to the Usefulness of Professional and Field Study Subjects Professional subjects Educ 11A: Assessment of Student Learning 2 Educ 12A: Educational Technology 2 Educ 5A: The Teaching Profession Educ 6A: Educational Technology 1 Educ 3A:Facilitating Learning Educ 1A: Child and Adolescent Development Educ 2A: Principle of Teaching 1 Educ 4A:Principle of Teaching 2 Educ 9A:Assessment of Student Learning 1 Educ 10A: Curriculum Development Educ 7A: Developmental Reading 1 Educ 14A: Special Topics Educ 8A: Social Dimensions Field study subject Educ 15B: Student Teaching Educ 12B: Technology in the Learning Environment Educ 4B: Experiencing the Teaching Learning Process Educ 5B: On Becoming a Teacher Educ 11B: Learning Assessment Strategies Educ 1B:The Learner’s Development and Environment Educ 10B: Exploring the Curriculum Grand Mean Mean 4.71 4.71 4.71 4.69 4.63 4.60 4.60 4.60 4.60 4.60 4.57 4.43 4. 14 Description Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Extremely Useful Very Useful Very Useful 4.89 Extremely Useful 4.46 Very Useful 4.44 Very Useful 4.37 4.37 Very Useful Very Useful 4.29 Very Useful 4.29 4.53 Very Useful Extremely Useful Table 26 gives the findings of the satisfaction of the respondents on the usefulness of professional subjects and field study subjects in their career as teachers. The findings reveal that the graduates are satisfied with the professional and field study subjects having a grand mean of 4.53 which has a description of extremely useful. Among all the professional and field study subjects with extremely useful rating, Educ 15B: Student Teaching obtained the highest weighted mean of 4.89 while Educ 8A: Social Dimensions got the lowest weighted mean of 4.14. This reveals that the respondents had a sufficient 61 training during their practice teaching wherein they were able to apply all the knowledge and skills they have acquired before they had their student teaching. 5. Implication of the Study to the BSED English Program The BSED English program should still be enhanced in terms of providing various learning opportunities and avenues to continuously produce competent individuals who will become instruments of change to transform lives. However, it still helped its graduates to pass the LET and be professional teachers although not all of them are in the teaching career due to personal reasons. The data gathered proved that majority of the learners of BSED program are residing from the different municipalities of Tarlac, it proves that learners outside Tarlac City prefer to take education. In terms of the respondents’ age, majority of the respondents graduated at the expected age of their batch; however, there are few who graduated older than their expected age. This implies that having 100% LET passers does not depend on the age of the graduates. No matter how young or old the graduates are, the training and quality of instructions still affect the performance of the graduates. Also, it has been proven that majority of the respondents are females, tt implies that majority of the females are also interested in mastering the English language, and willing to share their knowledge and skills towards others. The data according to the employment rate of the respondents proved that there are still degree holders and licensed professionals who do not have a job. It implies that having 100% LET passers does not guarantee the possibility of 100% employed graduates as well. In addition to that, the data under employment status of the respondents verify that it really 62 takes time after passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers to have a permanent job. Also, it requires patience, dedication, and passion to improve and to gain job security. However, it is shown that 3 out of 36 respondents are unemployed. It implies that though few of the respondents are not employed, there are reasons of their unemployment. The data showed that their reason is not because of the lack of job vacancy, but because of end of contract, missionary affiliation, and pursuing another course. Also, it was shown that having 100% LET passers who are considered as licensed professional teachers does not guarantee that all of them will pursue teaching as their job. It may be because of job availability or it is their own choice. In choosing the type of school, the respondents prefer to work on private schools are being considered by most of the education graduates as good training ground in their profession. Also, in teaching, it implies that majority of the respondents give importance to the role of instructional materials in catering the needs of the learners. Also, majority of the respondents treat instructional materials as tools in conducting a meaningful teaching and learning process and in meeting their instructional objectives for their every lesson. Thus, the BSED Program became a tool to be used in getting a stable and decent job as the BSED English graduates were properly trained and guided having the different skills which made them flexible to any possible career that they want to be involved in. Also, the curriculum has been proven effective as it is continuously producing holistically developed individuals who are educated and highly intellectual, even though there are still areas where improvement is needed. This only shows that curriculum’s permanence is like a contractual job in a particular educational institution that needs to be renewed, improved and developed in order to make progress toward the possible achievement of permanence 63 against the never ending irregularity and demands of the educational system. In addition, the BSED Program served as a storehouse of knowledge as it became a basis of the extent of learning and understanding of the graduates that they would impart to their students in the future. The flexibility of the graduates in terms of the ability to adapt different jobs is clearly seen as they were exposed to real world tasks and authentic situations which made them become ready enough to face variety of challenges in the field of work. Moreover, the BSED Program taught the graduates how to become wise and practical decision makers as it greatly contributed to the development of their personality and their personal growth. It only means that the BSED Program is not just beneficial in terms of the academic aspect but also in the emotional and social aspect which helped the graduates become not only knowledgeable but also soft hearted professionals who are prepared enough to embrace the realm of reality. Also, the BSED Program greatly served as a key to unlock new doors of hopes and opportunities toward the starting point of another fruitful journey and the ladder of success which will eventually transform the lives of the graduates into a satisfying and fulfilling one. 64 Chapter 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS This chapter presents the summary of the findings, conclusion derived from the findings and the significant recommendations. Summary of the Findings 1. Graduate’s Profile 1.1 General Information Most of the respondents are residing in the Province of Tarlac (Bamban, Camiling, Capas, Concepcion, Gerona, etc.). Majority of the respondents are in the age bracket of 2122 years old with the percentage of 83.33. Moreover, female is the dominant sex of the respondents who are single. 1.2 Employment Data Only 33 out of 36 respondents are employed and the remaining 3 are unemployed because of different reasons. Most of the respondents’ job is in line with teaching, and majority is in a private school. Mostly, their employment status is contractual. It took time for most of the respondents to be hired after college. However, their first job is related to their course. Majority of them are also in the teaching profession for 7-11 months now. 1.3 Continuing Professional Development Only 11 out of 36 respondents took Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities specifically their involvement to different academic conference and seminars. For this reason, the respondents think that attending various seminars provide wider learning opportunities which could help become holistically competent professionals. At the same time, by attending seminars they could easily grasp current and appropriate strategies in 65 teaching the 21st century learners. Also, it is more convenient on their part because attending seminars and workshops only consumes lesser time and effort. 2. Teaching Skills and Competencies With the overall mean of 4.17 the teaching skills and competencies of the respondents are highly developed. Among the teaching skills, human relation skills got the highest weighted mean of 4.47. Meanwhile, the research skills got the lowest weighted mean of 3.97. 3. Quality of Support Services Based from the data gathered, it indicates that most of the respondents show adequate satisfaction in the quality of support services that they had under the BSEd English program. Considering all the indicators, the student development or life opportunities (student guild, clubs, and co-curricular activities) got the highest weighted mean of 4.36 while the overall admission and registration processes got the lowest weighted mean of 3.47. 4. Usefulness of Major and Professional Subjects With the grand mean of 4.43, the respondents are satisfied with the major and professional subjects and they consider it as very useful to their present career. Of all the major subjects, Preparation and Evaluation of Instructional Materials got the highest weighted mean of 4.71. On the contrary, Introduction to Stylistics got the lowest weighted mean of 3.74. On the other hand, the graduates are also satisfied with the professional and field study subjects with a grand mean of 4.53 and a verbal description of Extremely Useful. Among all the professional and field study, Educ15B: Student Teaching obtained the 66 highest weighted mean of 4.89 while Educ8A: Social Dimensions got the lowest weighted mean of 4.14. Conclusion Based on the data gathered, it was found that: 1. The BSED English graduates are mostly residing in Tarlac province. Most of the respondents are single females who are in the age bracket of 21-22 years old. Majority of them are also in the teaching field with a contractual employment status. Also, some of them took CPD activities because some prefer to give more time to their families, some are not financially stable yet and some chose to have leisure time first before involving themselves with CPD activities. 2. The BSED English graduates acquired a highly developed teaching skills and competencies which are vital in their profession provided by the TSU – COED under the BSED program. 3. The quality and support services allocated by the TSU – COED contributed to the personal growth of the respondents since the development or life opportunities got the highest weighted mean. Hence, the BSED English graduates were able to excel in their own profession and career since they were exposed in the real world tasks. 4. The different major and professional subjects in the BSED English Program to the teaching profession of the respondents. 5. The BSED English Program helped the graduates to be equipped and well- trained in the teaching profession which enabled them to be highly competent individuals. 67 Recommendations Based on the summary and conclusions of this study, the following recommendations are presented: 1. The teachers and administrators of the BSED English Program should encourage its prospective graduates to pursue teaching due to the demand of the K to 12 curriculum and emphasize the importance of life-long learning through CPD as it is a requirement in the renewal of license. 2. Seminars and training programs about research should be given special attention by the BSED English Program. These could help the graduates to be more exposed to the significance of research which will be beneficial to them and to the education system. 3. The BSED English Program should provide continuous and meaningful activities which will enrich its individualized potentials beyond – classroom / and abilities as future professional teachers. 4. Instructions and assessments under some major subjects specifically the grammar and linguistics related subjects should be more provided by the teachers. In addition, the professional subjects which are co-requisites of some filed study subjects should be taught by the same professors for the students to apply what they have learned. 5. The data proved that one of the reasons of obtaining 100% LET passing rate is because the respondents had enough and adequate teaching and competency skills; therefore, it is highly recommended that the BSED English program should maintain the quality of instruction being given to the students. Also, the quality of 68 instruction should be strictly monitored consistently. It is for the possibility of attaining another batch of 100% LET passers. 6. To the administrators, it is recommended to not just focus on the student development in different guilds, clubs, and other co-curricular activities, but also give importance the quality and availability of facilities and equipment and to the admission process as it is rated as the lowest indicators under the quality of support services. These indicators are important in enhancing the skills and abilities of the students. 7. To the teachers, it is essential to expose the students to the different activities which could enhance their skills and to engage them in the field of teaching. 8. To the future researchers, this study identifies the rating of the respondents on how the BSED English program provided trainings making them 100% LET passers. It is suggested not to rely only on the findings, but also to conduct an interview in their next tracer study.