CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES AND SUGGESTED REMEDIES
Candidates’ weaknesses include their inability to:
- describe processes sequentially;
- write legibly;
- write correct spellings for scientific words;
- interpret questions correctly;
- understand the difference between advantages and use as required in question 2;
- draw and label secchi disc correctly;
- describe how specimen B (dissolved Oxygen) is used in a fish culture
- write answers in correct sequence.
The following remedies were suggested to overcome these weaknesses:
- students should always have practical classes after each topic
- textbooks that cover a wide range of the syllabus should be used by the teachers and candidates;
- teachers should endeavour to get previous marking schemes in teaching the students what is expected of them during examination;
- teachers should endeavour to cover the syllabus for students before the commencement of the examination;
- students should cultivate habit of reading;
- teachers should give students task that will improve their spellings of technical and scientific words. This could also be used to assess the students’ writing skills;
- teachers should endeavour to teach both simple and difficult topics in the syllabus;
- emphasis on teaching candidates’ anatomical and correct scientific words;
- teachers should participate in WASSCE marking and coordination exercise;
- teachers and school administrators should always make use of the WASSCE chief examiners report in preparing candidates for external examinations.