Weakness and Remedies
The observed weaknesses of the candidates include:
- poor spelling of technical terms and one-word answers
- starting taxonomic names with small letter e.g. panicum sp., Instead of Panicum sp., Caladium sp. etc.
- not including the magnification of the diagram;
- not giving correct magnifications for diagrams;
- wrong spelling of some technical terms e.g adventitius/adventious instead of adventitious, yoke instead of yolk etc.;
- using wooly guidelines in labeling diagrams;
- making diagrams without the correct specification;
- labelling with guidelines that are not ruled;
- inability to carry out critical observation on specimens provided before answering questions on them;
- making wrong diagrams;
- not providing technical details in answering diagrammatic questions;
- labelling drawings incorrectly;
- poor identification of contrasting features when comparing specimens;
- not relating structures with functions;
- giving wrong placentation;
- inability to follow rubrics;
- giving theoretical differences learnt in classroom instead of observable differences in specimens provided.
The following remedies were suggested to overcome these weaknesses:
- teachers should expose candidates to more practical works using better strategies and teaching aids to help them understand concepts in biology;
- teachers should always engage in refresher courses to bring their knowledge in the subject up to speed;
- schools should employ and engage teachers who are professionally and academically qualified and also have passion to teach the biology;
- teachers should prepare their candidates to note the importance of biological structures and diagrams;
- the candidates should be guided on how to answer questions by organizing seminars for them and giving them assignments using past questions;
- the teachers should endeavor to adequately cover the syllabus in the teaching of candidates before the commencement of examinations;
- textbooks that cover wide range of the syllabus should be used by the teachers and candidates;
- school authorities should endeavour to get previous copies of Chief Examiners’ Reports and utilize same in teaching the candidates;
- teachers should emphasize on legible hand writing for candidates;
- candidates should cultivate habit of reading wide and covering adequate scope of the syllabus;
- teachers should prepare candidates on how to improve their spellings of scientific names and technical words in biology;
- teachers should train their candidates on the relevant technical requirements in interpreting and answering diagrammatic questions;
- teachers should endeavour to participate in WASSCE marking and coordination exercises.