Professional Growth and Career Mobility of Master of Arts in Teaching Science Graduates in Sultan Kudarat State University: A Tracer Study

This study assessed the profile, career mobility, and professional growth of Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) major in Science graduates of Sultan Kudarat State University from school years 2019-2020 to 2023-2024. It also examined the issues and challenges they faced while completing their degree. The researcher employed a mixed-method research design, specifically the Sequential Explanatory Method, with 30 MAT-Science graduates selected through total population sampling, with data gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire. The majority of graduates were females aged 31 to 40, 83.3% were married, most held a master’s degree, 56.7% had 8 to 10 years of teaching experience with half in Teacher-III positions, and the largest number graduated in 2023–2024, with no graduates recorded in 2020–2021 and 2021–2022. The graduates demonstrated a very high level of career mobility (M = 4.46, SD = 0.50) and a very great extent of professional growth (M = 4.43, SD = 0.51). The results further indicated a significant positive relationship between career mobility and professional growth, with a strong correlation (r = 0.650, p < 0.01), suggesting that higher career mobility is associated with greater professional growth. However, no significant association was found between the graduates’ profile and their career mobility or professional growth. Graduates faced several challenges, particularly faculty and institutional concerns, thesis and research struggles, time management and workload issues, logistical and financial constraints, and the need for practical science education. The study concluded that while the MAT-Science program significantly enhanced graduates' skills, career mobility, and professional growth, addressing these persistent challenges is essential to further improve students’ academic and professional success.