Definition

Importance
Advantages/Disadvantages
Methods
Gathering Procedure
Findings

Related Literature
(About tracer study)

#DEFINITIONS
Tracers study is an approach which widely being used in most organization especially in
the educational institutions to track and to keep record of their students once they have
graduated from the institution. It is the follow up of graduates of higher education or institutes.
Its Aim is to evaluate ones progress up to the time he or she gets a job. This study assesses the
availability and quality of graduates. It is develop to answer the change in industry and corporate
world by integrating the higher education institutions with labor market. There seen as a
management tool for planning and monitoring of training programs. A simple tool designed to
measure the relevance of vocational training. They provide information for grammatical changes
and review of training curricula. It also help to monitor the delivery of training.
This is used when one wants to follow up the development of certain conditions or
particular sets of people. Tracer study is a form of development or longitudinal study.
#IMPORTANCE
It is important its a way of understanding the relevance and quality of programs offered
by the universities as well as the labor market.
It constitute an important tool for educational planners, as they can provide valuable
information for evaluating the results of the higher education and training institutions. This
information may be used for minimizing any possible deficits in a given educational program in
terms of content, delivery and relevance and for further development of the institution in the
context of quality assurance
Tracer study will benefit every institution most especially the DepEd and the schools
because it will help them to know what is the status of their products after graduating to their
institution.
The importance of Tracer study is to measure the relevance of vocational training courses
and documents, the number of trainees finding employment in their trained occupations.
Gathering and documenting feedback from trainee graduates can help improve project
planning, revise, reinforce, interventions, demonstrate results and contributes towards improving
public confidence in vocational training.
Through tracer study, an institution able to evaluate the quality of education given to their
graduates by knowing the graduates placements and positions in the society which later can
used as a benchmark in producing more qualified and competitive graduates.
#ADVANTAGES
The main advantages of tracer study is that it provides complete up-to date information on
for example: the state of the employment of graduates of a teacher education program.
Repeated tracer studies with different groups may lead to discover of trends or effectiveness of
programs and institutions.
Through tracer study, an institution able to evaluate the quality of education given to their
graduates by knowing the graduates placements and positions in the society which later can
used as a benchmark in producing more qualified and competitive graduates
#DISADVANTAGES

The main disadvantages of tracer study are low questionnaire response rate, attrition of
respondents and huge cost of collection of information. A review of the seven tracer studies
quoted in this study. A low response rate from 45-89%. This of course, could be increased at
huge costs to the study. A low response rate means that analysis of the employment status of
the teacher graduates and the teaching context may not necessarily reflect the actual situation.
Also graduates may respond for various reasons, e.g. being frustrated with finding could be a
reason for some not wanting to respond and for some responding in a hope employment.
#METHODS
*Questionnaire Survey
Provided you can reach your ex-trainees by mail, questionnaires are a fairly cost effective
method of data collection. Questionnaires, though, have limitations. They are most appropriate
for collecting quantitative data, e.g. the employment status of your ex-trainee (yes/no answer).
Much will depend on how you have designed your questionnaire. Can the questions be easily
understood? Can someone misinterpret them? (see below: rules for designing questionnaires).
Before your survey, test the questionnaire! Use a sample as an interview guide and afterwards
make the required corrections.
For gathering more in-depth information or verification of survey results we recommend
to carry out additional interview and/or group discussions (see next section).
*Interview and Group Discussions
Questionnaire surveys, as mentioned before, have limitations. The respondent may misunderstand the questions, may not provide all the information you want to get. In-depth
qualitative information can often only be revealed by a personal talk. Interviews and group
discussions with ex-trainees will give you better insights and help you to verify the results of
your questionnaire survey.
Many practitioners are of the opinion that site visits and interview are most effective
method of carrying out a tracer study. They recommend to utilize instructors and/or program
planners for that exercise, in order to allow key staff to experience reality and thus to help
drawing valid conclusions.
By any means, we recommend not to limit a tracer study to questionnaire surveys but to
add interviews and/or group discussions at least as an additional source of information and for
verification of survey results. We suggest to pre-screen questionnaire responses first and then to
select a limited number of ex-trainees (e.g. 25% of the number of questionnaires distributed) for
interviews or group discussions. Make sure, that all possible categories of respondents are
represented, e.g.:
The employed and unemployed,
The wage and self-employed,
Male and female,
Representatives of all trade groups trained at your institution
Different years of graduation
Additionally, you can use interviews to document case studies of your ex-trainees.
#Gathering Procedure
#Findings
What is related literature? A review of articles or books written by authorities giving their
opinions, experiences, theories or ideas of what is good or bad desirable or undesirable within
the problem area.
What is related studies? A review of published and unpublished reports on actual
researches done previously, to know what have been done in the field in relation to your topic to
pursue.
Local Literature: These are local materials usually printed and found in books professional
journals and magazines, newspapers and university publications published by the different
colleges and universities in the Philippines

Foreign Literature: These are materials printed in other countries with information related
to the current study and are found in books, professionals journals, magazines and other
publications.
Local Studies: These are studies or investigations already completed to which the present
study isrealated. They are usually unpublished materials such as manuscripts, these
dissertations conducted in the Philippines other research publications.
Foreign Studies: These are manuscripts, theses researches and dissertations conducted in
other countries.
SOURCE:
E,Gane
https://www.academia.edu/7485316/Related_Literature_about_tracer_study_Definition_Importanc
e_Advantages_Disadvantages_Methods_Gathering_Procedure_Findings