Browsing by Author "West, Steve A."

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    An evaluation of the CXC 1985 biology syllabus with specific reference to student performance and teacher preparedness in Trinidad
    (1988) West, Steve A.;
    This study surveyed the development, establishment, and organization of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), emphasizing its philosophy and strategies for developing its syllabuses. The CXC 1985 biology syllabus is outlined and reasons for considering it to be a curriculum are discussed. The study uses the causal-comparative methodology, which allows the comparison of the performance of students writing the CXC and General Certificate of Education (GCE examinations), along with a comparison of teacher preparedness for teaching the CXC syllabus, as illustrated by their attendance at development and implementation workshops. The study found no significant difference in the students' perception of their preparedness for the GCE O'Level and the CXC biology examination, however, the CXC students felt better prepared in practicals than the GCE students. In mock examinations, the CXC students performed significantly better in 1986 than in 1985, but the difference was not significant for the GCE students, although their 1986 performance was better. There was a significant difference in the performance of both CXC and GCE students in the actual examinations in both years, with the CXC students performing significantly better than the GCE students in 1986 in the school where there were students writing both examinations. There was also a better overall performance in all profiles in the CXC biology examination in 1986. There was a significant difference in the perception of the level of preparedness of teachers attending both CXC development and implementation workshops and those who did not, but there was no significant difference in their respective levels of preparedness to teach the syllabus
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    Problem-based learning - A viable addition for secondary school science
    (Jun. 1992) West, Steve A.;
    This article defines and presents a rationale for problem-based learning in science teaching. The process of problem-based learning is outlined and its benefits explored. The use of problem-based learning in the classroom is illustrated to support it as a viable teaching strategy for secondary school science