A Comparison of Supply and Demand for PETE Professionals in Higher Education in the United States

Abstract

This study examined the supply and demand issues of D-PETE professionals in higher education. The three concerns addressed were: (a) doctoral graduates and their respective job placements in the academic years of 1996–97 through 2008–09, (b) an examination of two targeted academic years (2005–06 and 2008–09) to determine the supply of entry level doctoral candidates and experienced job seekers, and (c) the number of advertised positions in pedagogy and outcomes of those position searches. A general comparison of the two academic years revealed: over half of the positions were filled with both graduates and ABD pedagogists and a third of position searches failed. The following conclusions were made demand was greater than supply and ABD’s in D-PETE filled pedagogy positions. Lastly, the impact of these failed searches must be examined as it relates to the profession.