Linear Predictors of Perceived Graduate Employability among South Africa’s Rural Universities’ Learners during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

After the outbreak of Covid-19, universities in South Africa adopted blended learning and learning continued online. The outbreak of Covid-19 brought to light inherent problems that South African rural universities are facing in the utilisation of educational technologies. These problems include inadequate online support technologies, inadequate electricity supply and poor educator and learner technological skills. Resultantly, questions have been raised on rural university graduates’ employability prospects and how these can be enhanced. This study provides evidence revealing that learner career ambition can be used as an intervention mechanism to enhance graduate employability among rural university learners. This study sought to determine whether online teaching and learning predict perceived graduate employability among rural university learners in South Africa. In addition, the study investigated whether learner career ambition moderates the relationship between online teaching and learning and perceived graduate employability. Quantitative data was gathered from 150 rural university undergraduate learners. Random sampling was used to select them. A survey approach was used to gather primary data and the research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire. Simple linear regression, and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. Results reveal that online teaching and learning predict perceived graduate employability, and learner career ambition negatively moderates the relationship between online teaching and learning. The study recommends that more research is needed to shed light on how ambition can be used to enhance graduate employability especially in online teaching and learning environments marred by poor information and communication technology infrastructure.