Justin Adzovie (a level 300 student of the University of Ghana)
“I think examination is not the best or most effective way since some of the questions have flaws in different ways. One is that the questions asked may not cover all the topics. The second has to do with students being limited to answering a certain number of questions.”
Anita Oduro (a level 200 student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)
“I do think examinations should be the only way to test a student’s understanding of a course. Some students are really into class discussions, but when it comes to examinations, they are unable to perform well, maybe because of the pressure, so I think the teachers can add students’ performances from class and their attendance to class to help push those who do not really perform well in exams. “
Joana Kumah (a level 300 student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism)
“I think it is inappropriate because it could be that the person really understands the topic or what the teacher taught, but sometimes questions are very tricky and it is hard to choose the right answers. Besides, some people panic during examinations due to strict invigilation, and this sometimes leads to the failure of the student. Some even forget the spellings of simple words and even how to join sentences in essays due to tension.”
Emmanuel Akorsah Brempong (a level 200 student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)
“Using examinations to test the understanding of students is good. At the end of the lesson, it is fair enough to test students to determine their level of understanding in that regard. It also forces students to take their learning seriously since they know there is an account to be made of what they have been taught. My only challenge is that the greater part of the examinations have been theory-based instead of practical. Examinations are not only about producing theoretical knowledge but putting the theoretical knowledge into effective use through practicals”
Handy Osei (a level 300 student of the University of Professional Studies, Accra)
“I think teachers use examinations to test students’ understanding of a particular topic and how well they can apply it in life. Teachers are trained to know the kind of students they are dealing with because some get their understanding right from the class, others get it when they go back to revise what they have been taught, and so the teachers want to know if the students are learning or just going by what is known as ‘chew and pour’.”
Angel Peprah (a final year student at Potsin TI Ahmadiyya Senior High)
“Examination cannot be the only way. We understand the topics, so they just have to believe us. Personally, I do not really perform well when it comes to examinations, but I know I really understand the topic being taught.”
Dake Godsway (a teacher at St. Rose’s Senior High)
“Examination has a lot of uses aside from the traditional use to test the understanding of students. Some of them include placement, ranking, and certificate allocation. On the issue of testing students’ understanding, I believe examinations are still important. Its role in our educational system is still relevant as well as other means.”
