Tracer Study
TRACER STUDY OF TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATES
BY
PREVANAND RAMRATHAN
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION (TEACHER EDUCATION)
In the Faculty of Education University of Durban-Westville
Durban, South Africa, 1997
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this dissertation is my own previously for any degree in any University.
wor~
and has not been submitted
~~ PRAMRATHAN
,
.
CONTENTS PAGE
TITLE PAGE ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DECLARATION CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES APPENDICES BIBLIOGRAPHY
I
n
IV V VI VIII IX
69
CHAPTER 1 : OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY - WHERE DO TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATES GO? PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6
6
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9
INTRODUCTION PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF STUDY THE NATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION AUDIT THE CONTEXT OF TIllS STUDY THE METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY OUTLINE OF DISSERTATION THE DELIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY LlMITATIONS OF TIllS STUDY
7 8
CHAPTER 2 : liTERATURE REVIEW
2.1 2.2
INTRODUCTION THE TRANSFORMATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA 2.2.1 The establishment of COTEP 2.2.2 The National Teacher Education Audit 2.3 FOLLOW-UP STUDIES AS A MEANS OF FEED-BACK 2.4 SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF TEACHERS 2.5 JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES FOR TEACHERS 2.6 KEY CONCEPTS USED 2.7 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3 : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
9
10 11 13 15 17 21 24 28
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
INTRODUCTION RESEARCH PARADIGMS THE SURVEY RESEARCH PARADIGM LONGITUDINAL STUDIES
31 31 32 32
3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7. 1 3.7.2 3.7.3 3.7.4 3.8 3.9
THE USE OF TRACER STUDIES THE RESEARCH DESIGN OF THIS STUDY DATA COLLECTION PROCESS Introduction Questionnaire surveys Survey sample Concluding remarks PRESENTATION OF DATA METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS
34 35 36 36 37 39 39 40 41
CBAPTER4:THEEMFLOYMENTSTATUSOFTEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATES 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 INTRODUCTION RESPONSE RATE TO SURVEYS SOCIAL GOALS - THE DOMINANT REASONS FOR PURSUING A CAREER IN TEACHING WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT
BY
PREVANAND RAMRATHAN
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION (TEACHER EDUCATION)
In the Faculty of Education University of Durban-Westville
Durban, South Africa, 1997
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this dissertation is my own previously for any degree in any University.
wor~
and has not been submitted
~~ PRAMRATHAN
,
.
CONTENTS PAGE
TITLE PAGE ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DECLARATION CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES APPENDICES BIBLIOGRAPHY
I
n
IV V VI VIII IX
69
CHAPTER 1 : OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY - WHERE DO TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATES GO? PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6
6
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9
INTRODUCTION PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF STUDY THE NATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION AUDIT THE CONTEXT OF TIllS STUDY THE METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY OUTLINE OF DISSERTATION THE DELIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY LlMITATIONS OF TIllS STUDY
7 8
CHAPTER 2 : liTERATURE REVIEW
2.1 2.2
INTRODUCTION THE TRANSFORMATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA 2.2.1 The establishment of COTEP 2.2.2 The National Teacher Education Audit 2.3 FOLLOW-UP STUDIES AS A MEANS OF FEED-BACK 2.4 SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF TEACHERS 2.5 JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES FOR TEACHERS 2.6 KEY CONCEPTS USED 2.7 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3 : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
9
10 11 13 15 17 21 24 28
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
INTRODUCTION RESEARCH PARADIGMS THE SURVEY RESEARCH PARADIGM LONGITUDINAL STUDIES
31 31 32 32
3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7. 1 3.7.2 3.7.3 3.7.4 3.8 3.9
THE USE OF TRACER STUDIES THE RESEARCH DESIGN OF THIS STUDY DATA COLLECTION PROCESS Introduction Questionnaire surveys Survey sample Concluding remarks PRESENTATION OF DATA METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS
34 35 36 36 37 39 39 40 41
CBAPTER4:THEEMFLOYMENTSTATUSOFTEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATES 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 INTRODUCTION RESPONSE RATE TO SURVEYS SOCIAL GOALS - THE DOMINANT REASONS FOR PURSUING A CAREER IN TEACHING WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT
Bibliography: Higson-Smith, C. 1995. Fundamentals of Social Research Methods. An African Perspectives Boberg, A.L.; Bosetti, L; and O 'Reilly, R. 1993. Do Alberta 's Faculties ofEducation Graduates Teach in Alberta Schools? Hartshorne, K. 1992. Crisisand Challenges: Black Education 1910 - 1990. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. Holste, D & Matthews, D. 1993. Survey of 1991 Teacher Education Graduates Conducted in May 1992 Hudson, C. and Khabele, P.E. 1976. Tracer Study: A Critical Survey of Secondary School Teachers Trained for the Lesotho Educational System by the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland from 1964 to 1975 Kallaway, P. (Ed). 1984. Apartheid and Education: The Education of Black South Africans Le Roux, A. 1996. Towards a new teacher education plicy: A critical analysis of COTEP. Lewin, K.M. 1993. Education and Development: The hsues and the Evidence. Serial o. 6, ODA (pp. 20-25). Lockheed, M. E. & Verspoor, A. M. 1991. Improving Primary Education in Developing Countries Narman, A. 1988. Practical Subjects in Kenyan Academic Secondary Schools: Tracer Study 11 Industrial Education (three year follow-up) Nel, B.R. 1997. Teaching Practice: Problems and Possibilities. Paper presented at the Faculty Seminar at the University of Durban- Westville, Durban. Pendlebury, S.A. 1996. Towards a White Paper on Teacher Education. Report on the National Teacher Education Audit Workshop (17 - 19 April 1996).