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.