A Tracer Study of Teacher Education Graduates of the Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education-Luang Namtha Teacher Training College, Academic Year 2017–2018

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to 1) assess the graduates’ acquired and developed skills and competencies obtained from the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education (B.Ed. in ECE) programme at Luang Namtha Teacher Training College (Luang Namtha TTC), academic year 2017-2018; 2) explore the employment situation of the graduates from the programme; and 3) evaluate the employers’ satisfaction regarding the graduates’ skills and competencies obtained from the programme. The sample size covered 31 graduates of the B.Ed. in ECE programme, academic year 2017-2018 and their 23 employers. Research tools consisted of two online questionnaires survey. Frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviations and correlation were used to analyses data. The study found that the overall results of the skills and competencies that the graduates acquired during their study were assessed to be at the very high level (μ = 4.53, σ = 0.21). Regarding the relationship between the curriculum and the employment, the survey found that the correlation between the graduates’ acquired skills and competencies from the programme and the required skills and competencies at work as at the high level (ρ = 0.81). The graduates’ satisfaction level with their work was rated at high level (μ = 4.19, σ = 0.24), and the employers rated their satisfaction with the graduates’ skills and competencies also at high level (μ = 4.39, σ = 0.23).