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ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BACHELOR OF EDUCATION PROGRAMME (B.Ed. ARTS)

IN MEETING JOB NEEDS OF GRADUATES OF UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

BY Dr. Gerald N. Kimani and

Joyce W. Kinyanjui

Research Paper

Number XXX

The authors Dr. Gerald N. Kimani Department of Educational

Administration and Planning, University of Nairobi, Kenya

E-mail: [email protected]

Joyce W. Kinyanjui Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Egerton University

ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BACHELOR OF EDUCATION PROGRAMME (B.Ed ARTS) IN

MEETING JOB NEEDS OF GRADUATES OF UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

BY Dr. Gerald N. Kimani and

Joyce W. Kinyanjui

CONTENT ABSTRACT...................................................................................................3 OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................4

Background to the study............................................................................... 4 Research Objectives ..................................................................................... 4 The Faculty of Education (FOE) .................................................................. 5 Population and sampling procedures ............................................................ 5 Strategies for Tracing Graduates .................................................................. 5 Instruments for Data Collection.................................................................... 6 Data Collection Procedures .......................................................................... 6 Data Analysis ............................................................................................... 6

SOCIAL-DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS OF THE B.ED. ARTS. GRADUATES........................................................................................................................7

Gender .......................................................................................................... 7 Age ............................................................................................................... 7 Parental Education Level.............................................................................. 8

EMPLOYMENT SITUATION OF FACULTY OF EDUCATION (FOE) GRADUATES ...............................................................................................9

Methods of Getting First Employment after Graduation.............................. 9 Employment Status of B.Ed. graduates ........................................................ 9 Type of Employers of Bachelor of Education Degree Graduates............... 10 Job Designation .......................................................................................... 11 Appropriateness of Position and Status to Level of Education................... 12

USEFULNESS OF KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED AND ELEMENTS OF STUDY 13 Use of Knowledge Acquired During B.Ed. Studies in Various subjects in Current Job 13 Usefulness of Elements of Study Programme to Work .............................. 13 Overall Use of Knowledge and Skills Acquired During B.Ed Studies in Current Work 15

SATISFACTION WITH PROFESSIONAL SITUATION, JOB MOBILITY AND FURTHER EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AFTER GRADUATION....17

Satisfaction with Characteristics of Professional Situation ........................ 17 Job Mobility of B.Ed. Graduates ................................................................ 19 Further Education and Training After Graduation...................................... 19

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .........................................................21 REFERENCES............................................................................................22

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This study was made possible through the co-operation of many individuals and organisations. We are particularly grateful to the Association of African Universities (AAU) for providing the funds to conduct this study. Special thanks go to AAU Research Project team led by Akilagpa Sawyer for facilitating in the various methodological workshops held in 1996 and 1997 and their assistance throughout the study.

Sincere gratitude is extended to Mr. Harald Schomburg, the principal resource person for his courteous, efficient and prompt assistance particularly in the statistical treatment of the data utilised in this study. Mr. Harald Schomburg, constant encouragement and moral support gave us the needed morale to continue writing.

We wish to also thank the research assistants who assisted in collecting and analysing data. We accord similar appreciation to all B.Ed students and graduates from College of Education and External Studies (CEES) who participated in the study.

Finally, we are grateful to Mrs. Kimemia who assisted in typing and other secretarial services.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Bachelor of Education Programme (B.Ed Arts) in meeting the job needs of graduates of the University of Nairobi. The study further investigated the job satisfaction of B.Ed graduates. In addition further education undertaken since graduation was studied.

The sample consisted of 1170 graduates who were traced mainly through snowball technique. Data was collected using mail questionnaire and direct administration of questionnaire to the respondents by the researchers. Data was analysed using SPSS programme.

The findings of the study indicated that most of the B.Ed (Arts) graduates (96%) got their first job through Teachers Service Commission posting. Most of the graduates had used the knowledge and skills acquired in various course units in the B.Ed programme in their jobs. About 76% per cent of the respondents indicated they used knowledge and skills acquired to a high extent. This was an indication that to a large extent the B.Ed programme had met the job needs of graduates.

The findings on job satisfaction of graduates indicated low rating of teaching career. Overall rating of job satisfaction was poor. Job mobility was low among the B.Ed graduates. Only a few graduates had undertaken higher degrees and diplomas after their B.Ed studies at the Faculty of Education.

OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Background to the study One of the major areas of concern on the graduate teacher education to the public, educational

administrators and the government has been the quality of the graduates produced by the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme. In 1978, the National Committee on Educational Objectives and Policies (NCEOP) noted that B.Ed. graduate teachers were experiencing problems in secondary schools due to lack of adequate subject content. The NCEOP further acknowledged that there was a considerable drop in performance of these teachers in classroom teaching.1 As a result of NCEOP findings a "B.Ed. Review Committee" was established by the Dean's Committee of the University of Nairobi. The Committee was asked to examine the training and related background preparation of the graduate teachers for secondary schools, look into their effectiveness and make necessary recommendations. The B.Ed. Review Committee reported : “.The Committee has been at pains to accept its own findings that the programme is inadequate in terms of education and content. There are weaknesses in the quality of the programme...2 ‘

In response to the above findings, when Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme was re-introduced in the University of Nairobi in 1988, (after 10 years) the recommendations of NCEOP and B.Ed. Review Committee were incorporated into the programme. More education courses were introduced and teaching practice duration was increased from six to fourteen weeks. In education and the two teaching subjects studied in the programme, the number of courses taken was increased by ten to fifty four (54) when compared to the previous B.Ed programme.

However, since the introduction of the new B.Ed. programme at the Faculty of Education in 1988 no comprehensive study has been done to assess the effectiveness of the course in meeting the job needs of the graduates. This study attempted to fill this gap. It investigated the relevance and usefulness, of the programme in meeting the job needs of graduates. It also investigated the job satisfaction of the graduates.

Research Objectives The main purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Bachelor of Education

programme (B.Ed. Arts) in meeting the job needs of the graduates. Specifically the study attempted to:-

1. Identify the present job status of B.Ed. graduates and the extent to which their job is appropriate to their level of education.

2. Evaluate on the basis of working experiences of B.Ed. graduates, the usefulness of the courses taken at the University of Nairobi as a preparation for their first jobs.

3. Assess the extent to which B.Ed. graduates are satisfied with the various aspects of their job 4. Establish the extent to which B.Ed. graduates are mobile within and outside the teaching

profession. 5. Identify additional education and training received by B.Ed. graduates after graduation from

the University.

1 Republic of Kenya Report of National Committee on Educational Objectives and Policies

(Nairobi, Government Printer, 1976). 2University of Nairobi A Review of Graduate Teacher Education in Kenya.

The Faculty of Education (FOE) The Faculty of Education was established in 1972 with the assistance of UNESCO and situated

at the main campus of the University of Nairobi. Its primary objective was to provide broad educational background and professional training most appropriate to the teaching career. From its inception, the Faculty of Education has displayed a spirit of commitment to the pursuit of excellence both in academic and professional fields.

The first Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) graduates left the University in 1975 and since then there has been a continuous flow of graduate teachers with this qualification. By 1978, the University of Nairobi and its constituent college, Kenyatta University College had produced 2111 B.Ed. teachers. In 1978, the B.Ed. teacher trainees at the University of Nairobi were transferred to Kenyatta University College.3

In 1985, Kenyatta University College received its charter as an autonomous institution of higher learning and renamed Kenyatta University. The University of Nairobi therefore lost one of its most popular degree programme B.Ed. to Kenyatta University. In 1988, a decade later, the University of Nairobi revived the Faculty of Education and situated it at the College of Education and External Studies (CEES).

At present the Faculty of Education enrols about 400 students into the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree programme per year. Between 350 to 400 undergraduate students pass their examinations annually. By 1995 a total of 1754 teacher trainees had graduated from the Faculty. In addition, the Faculty has produced 14 M.Ed. degree holders and two Ph.D. degree graduates.

Population and sampling procedures At the time this study was conducted in 1996 there were 1754 B.Ed. graduates who had

completed their course between 1991 and 1995 at the Faculty of Education, University of Nairobi. No sampling was done for B.Ed. (Arts) graduates who completed the course between 1991-1995. This was because of inconsistent records of their placements and posting. All those who were traced were sent a questionnaire or administered directly to them.

Strategies for Tracing Graduates Tracing of the graduates was rather labour intensive but an invaluable aspect of the study. The

following four methods were used in tracing the graduates. Records at the Dean's Office: The address that each graduate had indicated as permanent at the

time of their registration into the B.Ed. programme were used to trace them. In situations where graduates had left their current address to the Dean's Office after completion of degree programme, this was used rather than the permanent address. This method was not very useful as very little response was received through.

The Teachers' Service Commission's records of posting on first appointment. These lists were very useful with the 1993 and 1995 B.Ed graduates. They were however less useful with 1991 and 1992 graduates due to change of names on marriage and transfers from one school/institution to another after serving for two years or so.

Snowball technique was by far the most successful tracing method. After graduates were located using the above two methods or through academic staff at the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), they were mailed a letter requesting their assistance in locating other graduates from their year or other cohorts. Each letter included a form containing space for thirty of the graduates names, institution/organisation they were working for, addresses of their place of work, telephone number of their residence and work place. From the 106 responses received about 800 graduates were located through this method.

3Faculty of Education 1996/97 Prospectus

Contacts with other employers of teachers such as Ministry of Education, Public Service Commission (PSC), Secondary School Heads Association (SSHA), Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) produced few leads but were of limited value.

After the above tracing process 1170 Bachelor of Education graduates were located. This represented about 66.6% of all the graduates who had been at the Faculty of Education of the University of Nairobi between 1988 and 1995.

Instruments for Data Collection A questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire was administered to the B.Ed.

graduates who had been traced using the methods described above. The questionnaire collected data on graduates socio-biographical data, course of study at the University of Nairobi, transition from university to employment and current employment status. It also contained items on job satisfaction, assessment of employment and work, further education and training undertaken since graduation. The graduate questionnaire was adapted from the standard questionnaire developed for tracer study at the 1996 and 1997 workshops. The original questionnaire had been developed by Harald Schomburg at the Centre for Higher Education and Work, University of Kassel, Germany.

Data Collection Procedures After identification of the addresses and the location of the graduates, a questionnaire was sent

to 908 through postal service to their known addresses. Four research assistants were appointed to administer the questionnaires to the other 262 graduates who were in accessible areas. In addition, the two principal researchers were involved in collecting data from the accessible areas. This method proved rather cumbersome, expensive and less effective. In total, 639 questionnaires were received, 499 through postal services and 140 through direct administration of questionnaires. This represented approximately 54.6% return rate.

Some of the questionnaires received were sent as blank or unfilled. After checking only 547 usable questionnaires were returned. The other 92 questionnaires were either unfilled or partially filled.

A follow-up of the non-response from Nairobi and some parts of Rift Valley Province was done. A few who were interviewed indicated that they either did not wish to fill the questionnaire or were non-committal on why they did not fill it. Other respondents filled the questionnaire only after we assured them that the research team had nothing to do with the Kenya Government Loan for University Education.

Data Analysis After data collection, a code book was developed. All of the structured items for each

questionnaire were keyed in to the computer. Open ended questions were also summarised and coded. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme and Microsoft Excel. Tables for the data were generated using SPSS tables programme developed by Harald Schomburg. Results for each question were cross-tabulated against year of graduation, and/gender.

SOCIAL-DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS OF THE B.ED. ARTS. GRADUATES

Gender Among the graduates who participated in the study 72 per cent were males as compared to 28

percent who were females. Table 1 presents the gender of respondents by year of graduation. Except for the year 1993 which had a slightly higher participation rate of female graduates, all the other years had almost similar number of respondents.

These results on male/female participation in the study are not surprising. Enrolment rate of female students in tertiary educational institutions in Kenya is generally low. According to 1994-1996 Development Plan, the female students at public universities was about 37 percent. The actual proportion of male to female students by course however indicate that females are underrepresented in science based courses compared to arts-based courses. In the area of education, the enrolment into B.Ed. (Arts) is slightly higher at the University than the male/female response rate in this study.4

Table 1: Gender by Year of Graduation (percent)

Year of Graduation Total 1991 1992 1993 1995

Male 71 76 67 73 72 Female 29 24 33 27 28

Total 100 100 100 100 100 Count (n) (101) (90) (105) (240) (536) Question 42: What is your Gender ?

Age The graduates age ranged from 24 years to 35 years at the time the study was done (Table 2).

However most of them were in the age range of between 25 and 29 years. This is expected as most graduates complete their first degree at the age of about 24 years in Kenya. A bout 54 per cent of the respondents indicated that they were not married while 46 per cent were married. Over a third of the graduates (35%) had no children but a total of 59 per cent had either one or two children. Approximately 6 per cent had three or more children. The findings of this study indicate that most of the graduates who responded to this study were young and still in the process of settling down in terms of their own family.

Table 2: Year of birth by Year of Graduation (percent)


1966 or earlier 4 10 6 5 7 1967 15 16 12 9 12 1968 14 19 13 14 15 1969 20 16 21 21 20 1970 27 20 23 23 23

4Republic of Kenya National Development Plan 1993 - 1996 (Government Printer: Nairobi,

1993) p32

1971 12 14 18 18 17 1972 6 4 5 7 6 1973 or thereafter 1 0 2 0 1

Total 100 100 100 100 100 Count (n) (99) (90) (100) (238) (527)

Parental Education Level Information on the parents level of education was presented in Table 3. From the data in the

Table, it is evident that the number of graduates' parents with secondary school education and above is very low. Only 37% of the graduates' fathers and 29% of their mothers had an educational level of secondary school and above. B.Ed. graduates' mothers had lower educational level compared to their fathers. Gender disparity in education is a source of concern in all levels of education irrespective of age of respondents. A major area of concern on graduates' parental education is their literacy levels. This study indicated that about 50 per cent of graduates' mothers and 36 per cent of their fathers were either illiterate or semi-illiterate. The findings of this study on the parental education is an indication that most graduates come from families with low social economic status.

Table 3: Level of Education of Parents by Year of Graduation (percent)


Highest educational level of father No formal education 16 17 10 16 15 Some primary education 17 28 21 19 21 Primary education 15 21 14 19 18 Some secondary education 11 3 15 8 9 Secondary education 13 13 14 11 12 Secondary education 3 1 3 7 4 College enrolment without degree 18 10 16 14 15 Bachelor's degree 3 3 3 4 4 Advanced degree 2 0 1 0 1 Don't know 1 2 1 1 1

Total 100 100 100 100 100 Count (n) (93) (89) (98) (228) (508)

Highest educational level of mother No formal education 23 38 21 26 27 Some primary education 24 21 27 22 23 Primary education 21 15 24 21 21 Some secondary education 9 5 7 9 8 Secondary O level 10 9 10 9 9 Secondary A level 3 1 4 3 3 College enrolment without degree 7 8 5 7 7 Bachelors degree 1 0 1 2 1 Don't know 1 2 1 0 1

Total 100 100 100 100 100 Count (n) (96) (91) (100) (230) (517) Question 46a: What is the highest level of education attained by your parents?

EMPLOYMENT SITUATION OF FACULTY OF EDUCATION (FOE) GRADUATES

Methods of Getting First Employment after Graduation For majority of the B.Ed. graduates the search for the job starts at the end of their fourth year,

just before completion of the programme. The University Placement Officer asks the main employer of teachers - Teachers' Service Commission to send the application for employment forms. The forms are filled when the students are still in the University before completion of their examinations. After the students fill the forms they are forwarded to Teachers Service Commission for processing. In the past, B. Ed. graduates have been posted even before the final examination results are released by the University.

About 96% of the graduates indicated they got their jobs mainly through Teachers Service Commission posting. Other methods of getting first employment were mentioned by about 4 per cent of the respondents and included Public Service Commission posting, parastatal employment, contacting employees without knowing of a vacancy and an employer offering a job. Setting up of own business and joining parents/relatives enterprises were also mentioned by a few of the respondents. One or a combination of these methods were used by B.Ed graduates to get the first job. The Government of Kenya, through the Teachers Service Commission posting was however the main method through which B.Ed. graduates got their first jobs.

Employment Status of B.Ed. graduates The B.Ed. graduates responses with regard to their employment status was indicated in Table 4.

From the Table, about 87 per cent of the respondents indicated that they were employed and 14 per cent were pursuing professional training. Since those who were pursuing professional training may have been employed, it is possible that they were studying part-time or were on study leave. About 2 per cent of respondents indicated that they were on advanced academic study. From these findings it is evident that the major activity of B.Ed. graduates is employment.

In addition to the major activity being undertaken by respondents, they were further asked to indicate other activities they were involved in. Among the main additional activities undertaken by the B.Ed. graduates were professional training (26%), advanced academic study (20%) and further employment (54%). Professional activities that were being pursued by B.Ed graduates were professional training in areas such as computer studies, Certified Public Accounts (CPA) and Certified Public Secretary (CPS). These activities were intended to increase the job mobility of the graduates, higher pay and other benefits. The data for additional activities were presented in Table 5.

Table 4: Major Employment Status by Year of Graduation (percent; multiple responses)


Major activity - employed 91 90 81 87 87 Major activity - professional training 9 10 23 13 14 Major activity - advanced academic study 1 3 5 1 2 Major activity - not employed seeking employment 1 1 1 0 1 Major activity - not employed not to be employed 0 0 0 0 0 Major activity (other) 0 0 1 1 1

Total 103 104 110 103 104 Count (n) (77) (78) (88) (209) (452) Question 12a: What is your current employment status? Major activity

Table 5: Additional Employment Status by Year of Graduation (percent; multiple responses)


Additional activity - employed 56 69 59 44 54 Additional activity - professional training 25 23 19 33 26 Additional activity - advanced academic study 19 15 15 26 20 Additional activity not employed seeking employment 0 0 7 3 3 Additional activity - not employed not to be employed 0 0 4 5 3 Minor activity (other) 0 0 0 3 1

Total 100 108 104 113 107 Count (n) (16) (13) (27) (39) (95) Question 12b: What is your current employment status? Additional activities

Type of Employers of Bachelor of Education Degree Graduates When this study was conducted in 1996, the main employer of B.Ed. graduates was the

Teachers Service Commission, a public employer. About 97 percent of all the graduates who participated in the study were employed in public sector. Private sector had employed about two percent of the graduates while one percent were self employed. Table 6 summarises the data on the type of employers of the B.Ed. graduates by graduation year.

Table 6: Kind of Employer by Year of Graduation (percent)


Public employer 96 97 97 98 97 Private employer 3 2 2 1 2 Self employed 1 1 1 0 1 Other 0 0 0 0 0

Total 100 100 100 100 100 Count (n) (95) (88) (100) (235) (518) Question 17: Please state the kind of your employer? Please tick one item only

The government policy on employment of B.Ed graduates has now changed. It no longer guarantee jobs for B.Ed. graduates on completion of their programme. The B.Ed. graduates will in future have to study courses/subjects that can make them get employment outside public sector. Indeed following the recent strike by teachers in public schools in October, 1998, the government has indicated that it would like to reduce the number of teachers in public schools/institutions and reduce the compulsory retirement age from 55 to 50 years.

With regard to the nature of employment nearly all the graduates (98 percent) indicated that they were employed full time.

Only 2 percent of the respondents answered the question in negative. The 2 per cent respondents who were not full time employed may be self employed or working in private sector or unemployed as the government does not employ teachers on part time basis in secondary schools and tertiary education institutions time.

Job Designation The job designation of B.Ed. graduates is presented in Table 7. Since most of the graduate

teachers work in the public sector, their job designation follows a scheme of service developed by the government. Due to their being young in teaching profession, majority (81 percent) of the respondents were in the lowest entry level the graduate teacher grade III. The highest level attained by B.Ed. graduates from University of Nairobi who participated in the study was senior headmaster. As promotion is based on productivity and experience, it will take more time for B.Ed. graduates to get to the highest levels of appointments in the teaching profession such as chief principal and senior principal. With regard to promotion in administrative positions, it would appear that the experience of the graduates play a very important role. Most of those holding administrative positions in schools were in the first cohort of graduates who completed their programme in 1991. The year of graduation was a significant factor in the appointment to higher administrative positions in the teaching career.

Table 7: Present Job Title by Year of Graduation (percent)


Graduate teacher III 60 63 86 93 81 Graduate teacher II 8 21 6 2 7 Graduate teacher I 0 2 1 1 1 Assistant lecturer 18 7 4 1 6 Lecturer 1 0 0 0 0 Headmaster I 2 0 0 0 0 Headmaster II 4 4 1 1 2 Senior H/M 0 1 0 0 0 Other 6 1 1 1 2

Total 100 100 100 100 100 Count (n) (95) (90) (96) (237) (518) Question 15: What is your present job title (specific designation)? Please state the precise term, e.g. construction engineer, production engineer, etc.

In terms of gender, it is apparent that the highest level any female B.Ed graduate who participated in this study ever attained was graduate teacher I (Table 8) Although the government has encouraged female teachers to aspire for higher level jobs in teaching profession, it has been a slow process and an affirmative action needs to be taken to speed it up.

Table 8: Present Job Title by Gender (percent)

Gender Total Male Female

Graduate teacher III 79 84 81 Graduate teacher II 7 7 7 Graduate teacher I 1 1 1 Assistant lecturer 5 6 6 Lecturer 0 0 0 Headmaster I 1 0 0 Headmaster II 3 0 2 Senior H/M 0 0 0 Other 2 2 2

Total 100 100 100 Count (n) (365) (143) (508) Question 15: What is your present job title (specific designation)? Please state the precise term, e.g. construction engineer, production engineer, etc.

Appropriateness of Position and Status to Level of Education A major objective of this study was to investigate whether the B.Ed. (Arts) degree programme

met the job needs of the graduates. One of the questions which tested this was whether the position and status the graduates held was appropriate to their level of education. The findings of this study revealed that most graduates (50%) were of the view that the position held was appropriate to their education level (Table 9). Only a small number (9%) indicated that it was not at all. Since all the B.Ed. graduates were trained as teachers and most of them posted to teach in government institutions, their position was based on the education that they had attained. No difference was noted between graduates responses and their year of graduation.

Table 9: Appropriateness of Position and Status to Level of Education by Year of Graduation (percent; arithmetic mean)


Completely appropriate 25 20 23 25 23 2 24 28 26 28 27 3 26 26 30 25 26 4 16 16 14 13 14 Not at all appropriate 10 10 8 9 9

Arithmetic mean 2,6 2,7 2,6 2,5 2,6

Count (n) (93) (86) (93) (218) (490) Question 32: To what extent is your position and status appropriate to your level of education? Scale from 1 = completely appropriate to 5 = not at all appropriate.

USEFULNESS OF KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED AND ELEMENTS OF STUDY

Use of Knowledge Acquired During B.Ed. Studies in Various subjects in Current Job Use of knowledge acquired in various subjects offered in B.Ed. degree programme to the

graduates current job is indicated in Table 10. Results of the table indicate that Psychology of Human Development and Teaching Practice (89% and 87% respectively) were the most commonly used subjects by the respondents in their current job. Government (3%) and Linguistics (1%) were the least used subjects.

These results are consistent with the fact that a teacher must know how to deal with human beings. The teacher should understand their physical and mental development to teach them effectively. He/she must also know the practical aspects of teaching. Even if the teacher is very knowledgeable in content area, teaching cannot be effective unless he communicates effectively. The graduates also appear to apply the skills learnt in teaching practice very frequently in the day to day teaching. Indeed 88% indicated that they apply the knowledge acquired in teaching practice frequently.

Linguistics (1%) and Government (3%) were the least used subjects. These results for Linguistics and Government are rather surprising. The two subjects are taught in Kenyan high schools and it is expected that they would be very useful to the teachers who teach these subjects in high schools. Perhaps the number of graduates who participated in this study who took these subjects at B.Ed level was low.

Usefulness of Elements of Study Programme to Work Generally the graduates considered the programme very useful to their current work. They

particularly had positive response to the teaching practice (92%) which is the practical aspect of their programme. The subjects offered in the programme were also favourably assessed on their emphasis to practical work (mean 76%). The course content of the major and minor subjects were considered quite useful to their current work (87% and 69% respectively). These are the subjects that they teach in secondary schools and other institutions.

The graduate however assessed variety of courses offered (52%) and research emphasis rather low. This assessment seem justified. For quite sometime, there has been pressure (48%) from students to the Faculty to offer courses that are market driven and in demand. Students have requested the introduction of courses such as mathematics foreign languages (e.g. French and German), science subjects, technical subjects and computer studies into Bachelor of Education programme. They have argued that these are the subjects with a shortage of teaching staff in Kenyan schools. The Faculty of Education had not responded to these demands at the time the study was conducted due to economic constraints.

However in 1996 mathematics courses were introduced into the B.Ed. degree programme. Bachelor of Education (Science) programme was also introduced in 1999/2000 academic year. The Faculty of Education plans to introduce these other subjects in 2000/2001 academic year.

In the B.Ed. (Arts) programme, research is not emphasised. Though students are taught research methods in some education courses as well as in the major subject of specialisation it is not taught as a subject on its own. Graduates have recognised this shortcoming as it is necessary for their teaching in schools. What they were taught in research methods was evidently not adequate and they required to learn more about research.

Table 10: Use of Professional Knowledge and Skills Acquired During Studies by Year of Graduation (percent; responses 1 and 2)


Education and Development 49 58 64 53 55 Curriculum Development 44 53 50 49 49 Educational Administration 63 64 57 55 59 Educational Planning 44 51 47 51 49 Teacher Education 48 53 42 50 49 Educational Communications 86 96 76 86 86 Subject Methods 85 92 79 86 85 Educational Technology 55 68 60 60 60 Teaching Practice 90 87 85 88 88 Distance Education 11 4 8 10 9 History of Education 26 36 30 25 28 Philosophy of Education 34 37 34 39 37 Sociology of Education 55 54 42 56 53 Comparative & contemporary issues 37 41 42 40 40 Adult Education 7 8 8 7 7 Introduction to Psychology 82 88 77 82 82 Psychology of introduction of human development 85 88 85 89 87 Educational measurement evaluation and statistics 85 79 79 84 82 Fundamentals of guidance and counselling 83 84 85 82 83 Special Education 28 25 37 31 31 Communication Skills 84 80 78 85 83 Environmental Studies 33 32 32 31 32 Environmental Studies 51 53 65 57 56 History 40 31 44 42 40 Geography 39 33 46 39 39 Commerce 34 36 36 33 34 Philosophy 50 49 67 51 53 Religious Studies 9 27 17 20 19 Mathematics 32 25 45 42 37 Economics 31 25 35 34 32 Accounting 44 54 36 48 47 Kiswahili 61 54 67 70 65 Eng. Language 36 30 41 40 37 English Literature 30 20 43 45 37 Literature 41 49 31 42 41 Fasihi 41 54 59 51 51 Government 0 2 4 5 3 Home Economics 41 48 56 42 45 Social Education and Ethics 29 29 38 43 37 Linguistics 2 0 0 0 1 German 11 20 21 17 17

Count (n) (99) (91) (101) (245) (536) Question 27: To what extent do you use knowledge acquired during your studies in the following areas (if applicable) for your current job? Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.

Overall Use of Knowledge and Skills Acquired During B.Ed Studies in Current Work The B.Ed. graduates were very positive with regard to extent of their use of knowledge and

skills acquired during their studies at the Faculty of Education. Indeed when categorised by year of graduation over three quarters (76%) of the respondents indicated that they use the knowledge and skills acquired to a high extent (Table 11). This is an indication that the Bachelor of Education programme has been able to meet the challenge of the jobs the students take up after graduation.

Table 11: Overall assessment of extent of use of knowledge and skills acquired during studies by Year of Graduation (percent; arithmetic mean)


Extent you use knowledge and skills acquired Very high extent 44 55 42 48 47 2 30 25 30 31 29 3 23 17 23 18 20 4 3 1 3 2 2 Not at all 0 1 3 1 1

Arithmetic mean 1,8 1,7 1,9 1,8 1,8

Count (n) (77) (69) (74) (174) (394) Question 31: When you look at your current work tasks altogether: to what extent do you use the knowledge and skills acquired during your course of studies? Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.

When categorised by gender, male respondents indicated a slightly higher use of knowledge and skills acquired during their studies than female respondents.

Table 12: Overall assessment of extent of use of knowledge and skills acquired during studies by Gender (percent; arithmetic mean)


Very high extent 50 39 47 2 29 31 29 3 17 28 20 4 2 2 2 Not at all 1 0 1

Arithmetic mean 1,8 1,9 1,8

Count (n) (293) (95) (388) Question 31: When you look at your current work tasks altogether: to what extent do you use the knowledge and skills acquired during your course of studies? Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.

SATISFACTION WITH PROFESSIONAL SITUATION, JOB MOBILITY AND FURTHER EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AFTER GRADUATION

Satisfaction with Characteristics of Professional Situation The responses of B.Ed. (Arts) graduates with regard satisfaction on various characteristics of

professional situation by year of graduation was presented in Chart 1. From the results it is evident that most of the respondents were satisfied with four characteristics. These are contents of work/professional tasks (56%), opportunity to benefit society (58%), use of qualifications acquired (63%) and job security (81%). The year of graduation of the respondents did not appear to make any difference.

Respondents were dissatisfied with the characteristics of fringe benefits, (9%), the income they receive (11%) and equipment of the work place (10%). What appear to emerge from the Table is that generally respondents were dissatisfied with most of the characteristics listed. These findings are not surprising. In October 1998, all the primary and secondary school teachers had gone on strike. This was because of a scheme of service for teachers which the government had approved but had not been implemented accordingly. The scheme was to be implemented in five phases. Only the first phase was implemented in 1997.

The other phases were not implemented due to current economic difficulties in the country. Teachers therefore felt disillusioned by the Government refusal to implement the scheme of service. The pressure to increase remuneration was building up to the time the teachers went on strike. As can be observed from the Table Chart 1 even in characteristics of the profession where they are satisfied, the level of satisfaction was not very high.

Similar results were also observed when the data was categorised by gender. Female respondents were more satisfied with atmosphere in their institution (42%) and workplace surrounding (32%) compared to men (Table 13). However men were more satisfied with many of the characteristics of work situation than women respondents.

As with individual characteristics of the work situation, overall results from the data (Table 14) indicated that male respondents (36%) were more satisfied with their job compared to women(26%). This result was rather surprising considering that generally women appear to be better teachers than men. On the whole these results indicate that B.Ed teachers were dissatisfied with their professional situation.

Table 13: Satisfaction with Characteristics of Professional Situation by Gender (percent; responses 1 and 2)


Content of work/the professional tasks 58 50 56 Working atmosphere 33 42 36 Job security 81 80 81 Possibility to use qualifications acquired 63 63 63 Possibility to work in demanding job 45 40 43 Position achieved 22 17 21 Income 10 14 11 Promotion prospects 25 14 22 Opportunity to benefit society 61 53 58 Chances of realising my own ideas 32 23 30 Fringe benefits 8 11 9 Opportunity of pursuing further study 29 27 29 Equipment of the work place 8 13 9 Workplace surrounding 21 32 24 Equal treatment of all employees 30 27 29

Count (n) (373) (145) (518) Question 34: To what extent are you satisfied with the following characteristics of your professional situation? Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.

Table 14: General Job Satisfaction by Gender (percent; arithmetic mean)


Very high extent 9 5 7 2 27 21 25 3 39 50 42 4 16 13 16 Not at all 9 11 10

Arithmetic mean 2,9 3,0 2,9

Count (n) (364) (143) (507) Question 35: Altogether, to what extent are you satisfied with your professional situation? Please take also into account in your statement any professional sidelines. Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.

Job Mobility of B.Ed. Graduates The B.Ed. graduates who participated in this study had worked for five year of less. In essence

they were still in the period of settling in their jobs. When respondents were asked to indicate the number of times they had changed their jobs, only 23 or (4.0%) respondent indicated they had changed their jobs. This clearly indicated that job mobility of B.Ed. graduates was very low. Table 15 presents the data on job changes of graduates. Perhaps one can conclude that due to lack of jobs and high level of unemployment in the country not many teachers change their jobs.

Table 15: Change of Employment by Year of Graduation (percent)


Never 93 93 94 98 96 Changes 7 7 6 2 4

Total 100 100 100 100 100 Count (n) (96) (90) (101) (235) (522) Question 11: How many times did you change the employer/employment since your graduation?

Further Education and Training After Graduation Of all the graduates who participated in the study (639) only 148 had indicated that they had

undertaken further education and /or training. Among the courses that most of graduates had undertaken are seminars and workshops (36%), professional courses (26%), examiners' training/ marking (12%) and computer training (11%). Courses attended by least number of graduates were drama and music (2%), training in sports (4%), masters degree/postgraduate studies (5%). Table 16 and 17 present the data on further education and training undertaken by the graduates by year of graduation and gender. Female graduates had taken more courses in business and community based training compared to male graduates. Other forms of training and further education were undertaken by similar number of respondents.

The education and training by graduates was mainly related to their work. Graduates taking profession courses planned to join other areas of the economy such as accounts/finance and related jobs. Very few had opportunity for further education in formal programmes such as maters and doctoral degrees. Indeed only 5 per cent of the 148 respondents had done a Masters degree. This is an indication that there is need for additional opportunities for further education to be opened for the graduates. The number of graduates undertaking further education is rather very low.

Table 16: Kind of Continuing Education and Training by Year of Graduation (percent)


Professional course in Business e.g. CPA 17 24 39 24 26 Computer Training 7 10 10 15 11 Seminars and Workshops 48 34 42 29 36 Guidance and counselling 7 14 0 10 8 Leadership Training/Induction course 7 7 6 2 5 Examiners training/marking 17 3 13 14 12 Drama and music 0 0 0 5 2 Masters degree/postgraduate 0 14 0 5 5 Training in sports 3 3 0 7 4 Community based training 0 14 3 8 7

Total 107 124 113 119 116 Count (n) (29) (29) (31) (59) (148) Question 39: What kind of (organised or informal) continuing education and training (i.e. other than initial training and professional training referred to above) have you undertaken since graduation?

Table 17: Kind of Continuing Education and Training by Gender (percent)


Professional course in Business e.g. CPA 23 32 26 Computer Training 10 15 11 Seminars and Workshops 38 34 37 Guidance and counselling 10 5 8 Leadership Training/Induction course 5 2 4 Examiners training/marking 15 5 12 Drama and music 3 0 2 Masters degree/postgraduate 5 5 5 Training in sports 4 5 4 Community based training 6 10 7

Total 118 112 117 Count (n) (104) (41) (145) Question 39: What kind of (organised or informal) continuing education and training (i.e. other than initial training and professional training referred to above) have you undertaken since graduation?

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed that most of the B.Ed. (Arts) graduates (96%) got the first job through Teachers Service Commission posting. Field of study, government employment policy and reputation of the University were cited by most of the graduates as crucial factors in their employment. About 87% of the B.Ed graduates indicated their major activity as employment. Those in employment were mainly working in schools, tertiary education institutions and public universities.

Most of the graduates were still in their entry jobs. All the graduates in employment were housed or given house allowance. They were provided retirement benefits and health allowance. Generally remuneration and fringe benefits for teachers were very low and unattractive.

From the findings of this study on the employment situation of B.Ed graduates it is evident that the government is their principal employer. Due to structural adjustment programmes being implemented by the Government, its policy on employment has changed. The B.Ed graduates will no longer be guaranteed jobs by the Government. The B.Ed graduates will therefore have to complete for jobs in public and private sectors with other graduates from different faculties/areas of study. The University will therefore require to offer to B.Ed students subjects that can enable them be competitive in the job market.

Most of the graduates had used the knowledge and skills acquired in various course units in the B.Ed programme in their jobs. However the results of this study indicated that the extent of the use of course varied from one subject to another. Some of the courses frequently used by the graduates were psychology of human development, teaching practice and educational communications. Elective courses in education such as distance education, adult education and special education were not very much used by respondents in their day to day work. Overall B.Ed graduates were very positive with regard to the extent of their use of knowledge skills acquired during their studies at the Faculty of Education. About 76% per cent of the respondents indicated they use knowledge and skills acquired to a high extent. This is an indication that to a large extent the B.Ed programme has met the job needs of graduates.

The findings from this study on job satisfaction of graduates indicated low rating of teaching career. The B.Ed graduates were however more satisfied with certain aspects of their work compared to others. Job security, opportunity to benefit society and use of qualifications acquired were three aspects of graduates jobs that were highly rated. Graduates were satisfied with these aspects to high extent. Fringe benefits, income and equipment at work place were some of the aspects of job that graduates were not very satisfied with. Overall rating of job satisfaction was rather poor (mean 2.9 on 5 point scale). This was perhaps due to poor remuneration, fringe benefits and working conditions of teachers. Job mobility was rather low. Only very few B.Ed graduates had changed their jobs.

The findings of this study indicated that only a few graduates had undertaken higher degrees and diplomas after their B.Ed studies at the Faculty of Education. Indeed only 5% of the 148 graduates who had taken further courses had done post graduate work. The other graduates had undertaken short courses and seminars on the work they do. This is an indication that opportunity for higher education are limited and/or not affordable. It is necessary that more opportunities for higher education be made available to B.Ed graduates.

REFERENCES

Kimani Gerald N., “The University Curriculum: The Case of Bachelor of Education (Arts) Programme” In University Staff Development. Germany Foundation of International Development 1992

Republic of Kenya, Kenya Education Commission Report Part1 (Nairobi: English Press Ltd.,1964).

Republic of Kenya, National Development Plan 1993 – 1996 (Nairobi: Government Printer:1993)

Republic of Kenya, Report of National Committee of Educational Objectives and Polices (Nairobi: Government Printer, 1976)

Republic of Kenya, Report of the Presidential Working Party on Education and Manpower Training for the Next Decade and Beyond. Government Printer, 1988)

University of Nairobi, A Review of Graduate Teacher Education in Kenya (Nairobi: University of Nairobi, 1978)

University of Nairobi, University Calendar 1988/89 (Nairobi: University of Nairobi, 1989)

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