Investigation of Students’ Achievement Level on Advanced level Chemistry in Sri Lanka
- March 5, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue II, February 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Investigation of Students’ Achievement Level on Advanced level Chemistry in Sri Lanka
G.G.P.S. Perera1, W.M.A.T. Bandara2, T.M.S.S. K. Yatigammana3
1,2,3Post Graduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Abstract—General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (G.C.E.A/L) examination is the most competitive examination in secondary education of Sri Lanka because it is the university entrance examination. There is only a written test with different question types to test Cognitive, Effective and Psychomotor domains. But there is no practical tests. Therefore checking the skill are not happening properly. Pass rate of the chemistry subject in G.C.E (A/L) examination rises year by year. Results of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) questions of this examination has been analyzed from 2012-2016 and shows the pass rate rise from approximately 61% to 67%. Though the pass rate stands around 67%, actual marks scored by students always below 41 marks were always above 50%. According to the analysis the “Trend of facility Indices of main five streams” showed the lowest to Physical Chemistry. Conceptual development of Physical chemistry of the syllabus always showed the decline in every year comparing to the other streams was always 8- 16%.
Keywords— Cognitive, Effective, Facility Indices, Multiple Choice Questions, Physical Chemistry, Psychomotor
I.INTRODUCTION
Seventy two years after the independence, Sri Lanka is still a developing country. Though our education system and curriculum also have gone through several reforms and changes, the initially established Examination (Assessment and Evaluation) system is still there for decades without facing much change. Though this is a collective result of several factors like lack of capital, unequal distribution of resources, negligence, lack of knowledge, poor administration, un-necessary political interference etc. it has caused a very disturbing situation in country’s socioeconomic and political system.
All students have been put into a race where only intention is to get through G.C.E. (A/L) to enter the university because it is the only path. Neither analytical nor innovative skill development is necessary to pass the A/L or to enter the university. Being a mechanically trained “parrot” by answering as much as past papers to memorized and re-write one-to-one copy which learnt in the classroom is the one and only requirement for the purpose.
