Topic: Knowledge and Skills Acquired During University Training in Relation to Work Competence: The Case of Graduate Teachers in Kampala and Wakiso District, Uganda, (2017).
Key words: Knowledge, skills, training, job, work-competence
ABSTRACT:
The study examined whether the knowledge acquired at university matched required work competences; the extent to which graduates’ skills acquired during training match present work competences; and identified necessary knowledge and skills gaps that could enhance graduates’ work competences and employability.
A survey design was used. Three hundred Ndejje University-trained teachers, from 113 schools in Kampala and Wakiso districts formed the purposive sample, including 57.3% males and 42.7% females. Fifty-one (51.7%) were 31-40 years, 37.7% were married, Catholics constituted 31.0%, Protestant 28.0%, 41% belong to other religions. Forty-nine percent (49.3%) have degree level training, 30.3% have diploma-level.
There is positive significant matching between knowledge and competence-at-work indicators (r=.557, p=.00(n=179, then p<0.05(2- tailed) and R2 of 0.453), i.e. 45.3% of the variations in total competences exhibited at work are statistically explained by the matching of skills possessed by the teachers.Standard Error of estimate of 9.7344 is above 1. The Scree plot of inspection indicated 53.32% of the variance of eight interpretable factors of graduate teacher skills.
A high proportion of response (54.3%) show that understanding the relationships between societal demands and community issues, emerging issues at work, and technological changes was not sufficient and that educational counselling skill training to address various problems in a school, although regarded as necessary by the respondents, was insufficient to address problems in the teaching–learning process (69.0%).
It is recommended that the University teaching curriculum should be adjusted to cater for specific educational counselling skills-training to address school-based issues and society’s needs, as well as a broad curriculum to include life-skill training to equip teachers to address issues of sustainable survival and development.
ABSTRACT:
The study examined whether the knowledge acquired at university matched required work competences; the extent to which graduates’ skills acquired during training match present work competences; and identified necessary knowledge and skills gaps that could enhance graduates’ work competences and employability.
A survey design was used. Three hundred Ndejje University-trained teachers, from 113 schools in Kampala and Wakiso districts formed the purposive sample, including 57.3% males and 42.7% females. Fifty-one (51.7%) were 31-40 years, 37.7% were married, Catholics constituted 31.0%, Protestant 28.0%, 41% belong to other religions. Forty-nine percent (49.3%) have degree level training, 30.3% have diploma-level.
There is positive significant matching between knowledge and competence-at-work indicators (r=.557, p=.00(n=179, then p<0.05(2- tailed) and R2 of 0.453), i.e. 45.3% of the variations in total competences exhibited at work are statistically explained by the matching of skills possessed by the teachers.Standard Error of estimate of 9.7344 is above 1. The Scree plot of inspection indicated 53.32% of the variance of eight interpretable factors of graduate teacher skills.
A high proportion of response (54.3%) show that understanding the relationships between societal demands and community issues, emerging issues at work, and technological changes was not sufficient and that educational counselling skill training to address various problems in a school, although regarded as necessary by the respondents, was insufficient to address problems in the teaching–learning process (69.0%).
It is recommended that the University teaching curriculum should be adjusted to cater for specific educational counselling skills-training to address school-based issues and society’s needs, as well as a broad curriculum to include life-skill training to equip teachers to address issues of sustainable survival and development.