Abstract. This study aimed to investigate the school administrators' assessment of the performance of teacher education graduates and identify areas requiring further exploration. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, the quantitative phase involved a random selection of respondents from private and public schools in Davao City, while the qualitative phase included purposively chosen participants for in-depth interviews. Data were collected using adapted survey tools and interview guides, with mean and standard deviation used for quantitative analysis and coding and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results showed high satisfaction levels among school administrators. The qualitative phase provided deeper insights into these findings, highlighting key themes. Regarding soft skills, themes included time management, student-centered support, communication, and a collaborative work environment. For hard skills, themes encompassed leadership, task completion, subject mastery, instructional design, and professional development. The study suggests that academic institutions should enhance support systems to address graduates' developmental needs and learning barriers, focusing on curriculum enhancement, recruitment, feedback, and personalized professional development.

Keywords: Teacher education; School administrator; Graduate performance; Philippines