Teachers who handle the candidate class in any secondary school should help them fill the learning gaps. School arrowheads should ensure that it happens at the right time.
Candidates should not face the final exam when they feel that they are inadequate. Ostensibly, filling the gaps is one of the best approaches to KCSE preparation.
Some gaps that require some filling include; gaps in content mastery, interpretation of exam questions, emerging trends in setting and marking of KCSE, writing of exams, mastery of concepts in the lower forms and motivation.
- Gaps in Content Mastery
Peak performance in KCSE comes with proper content delivery, content mastery and content retention. After every exam, teachers should detect glaring gaps through blank spaces left. It is a form of academic indiscipline worth dealing with without any tinge of mercy.
The perfect antidote to gaps in content mastery is cyclic reading of notes and exposure to core course books. Candidates should read the notes from Form 1-4 more frequently.
Gaps in content mastery is also seen through failure to score full marks in exams, which can be cured through making of marking schemes, rigorous review of past papers and remedial lessons.
Making of marking schemes entails; getting question papers and using them to get answers from the core course books. The books remain the object of study, but questions act as the good guide on what and how to study.
Let there be guided exams. In this stupendous strategy, teachers guide candidates to read given areas where they have set examinations. There is the approach of topical revision, whereby at the tail-end of every topic, candidates make notes and respond to end-of-topic-questions through evaluation.
The filling of gaps also happens through in-depth review of past papers. This also helps the candidate to conceptualise the pattern in setting and marking of KCSE. It also exposes candidates to the format of exams. Then, there is the research-based learning, where learners read widely.
Symposiums and hot sittings seals some gaps. Candidates get the work that requires research. They make presentations in the full glare of their peers in class. In hot sittings, they field questions from other students. Any question that they find challenging becomes a gap that ought to be filled.
They grasp content by participating in subject-based contests, which means they read given topics. Then they sit for an exam in those topics.
- Gaps in Interpretation of Exam Questions
This type of gap comes out clearly, when candidates sit for an exam, but fail to respond appropriately to the exam questions. Some even end up setting their own questions. What is the solution? Schools should expose candidates to several exams.
Failure to respond to questions in the required breadth and depth end when students are trained on how to provide main points in exams, which must also be supported with cogent illustrations. Sometimes, there are marks come through proper illustrations. Therefore, candidates should explain explicitly to shun un-pointed narrations.
Candidates should change their attitudes towards exams, and get prepared to sit for several exams as a way of practice and preparation. For practice makes perfect. Practice also makes permanent.
Candidates should sit for several set of exams; marked and revised. The massive mistake that is committed by some schools is that candidates sit for exams just for formality purposes. Teachers handling the candidate class serve the exams to please the top guns of the institution. They just do it because it features in the school calendar of events, or in the Academic Action Plans (AAPs).
3. Gaps in Emerging Trends in the Setting and Marking of Exams
This gap manifests when candidates fail to demonstrate higher level of thinking in exams. It also manifests when candidates evince poor content mastery. Candidates can find medicine to this disease only when they pay meticulous attention to subject experts and examiners. Teachers should study the KNEC reports, and apprise students on recommendations made.
- Gaps in Writing of Examinations
This gap depicts itself when candidates fail to plot work on paper appropriately. This could be lackadaisical layout of essays, lousy labelling of diagrams, bad balance of work on paper, bad handwriting, laziness, carelessness, wrong flow of Mathematical equations and failure to present balanced chemical equations in Chemistry.
To mitigate this, there should be personal administration of complete exams and group exams. There should be intensive and extensive practice. Let them study marking schemes in an in-depth manner. Let them give every exam the seriousness it deserves.
- Gaps in the Mastery of Concepts in the Lower Forms
This comes when candidates fail dismally to score marks in questions that test topics taught in Forms 1 and 2. It is through cyclic reading of notes and quality quizzes.
If a candidate only grasps Form 1 and 2 work, s/he stands a chance to score a D+ (plus). Mastery of Forms 1 and 2 content can possibly attract a C (plain). Mastery of Forms 1, 2 and 3 content can beckon a B- (Minus). From this trail of thought, it is clear like crystal that Form 4 work positions a candidate to scoop good grade A.
KCSE 2019 confirms. It was 25% Form 1 work. 25% Form 2 work. 25% Form 3 work. 25% Form 4 work. Candidates who grasped Form 1 and 2 work escaped the D+ (plus) and below mark. Unfortunately, some high achievers lost it, because they saw no need of focusing on Forms 1 and 2 work. They massively missed A’s.
- Gaps in Candidates’ Motivation
This manifests in in levels of targets set. Levels of commitment. Levels of discipline, self-drive and data analysis. The teachers handling the candidate class should help them set targets. Think of things that can prop up their self-esteem and self-motivation.
© Victor Ochieng’
The writer rolls out academic talks in schools. He trains teachers on Best Academic Practices. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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