CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
The observed weaknesses of the candidates include:
- poor spelling of technical terms e.g York, yoke for yolk; ‘bite’ for ‘bile’, ‘thorasic’ for ‘thoracic’.
- inability to draw the correct specimen required;
- drawing with wrong titles;
- not including the magnification of the diagram;
- making diagrams without the correct specification;
- labeling with guidelines that are not ruled;
- inability to distinguish between longitudinal section and transverse section (maybe on the part of the teacher too);
- starting taxonomical names with small letters;
- inability to state the exact locations of specimens H(Liver), K(Lung) and M(Kidney) in the body of mammals;
- inability to name the content of the gall bladder;
- inability to state the changes in the colour formed for food test;
- writing ‘poisonous’ gland instead of ‘poison’ gland;
- using arrows in the opposite direction for the food chain.
The following remedies were proffered to overcome the weaknesses:
- appropriate specimens should be provided for students for the practical examinations;
- students should be made to draw often in class, and be taught the basic skills of drawing;
- students should learn to use rulers to rule guidelines for labels;
- students should be taught the way to report observations of food tests;
- teachers should drill students on spellings so as to improve on their spelling of technical terms;
- students should be taught how to answer adaptation questions;
- Chief Examiners’ Report should be made available to students and compulsory for teachers to read;
- teachers should be made to attend seminars and workshops.