Analysis and evaluation of performances in the Matsec May 1997 English Literature Core Paper (Paper 1)

Abstract

The dissertation analyses the MA TSEC English Literature Paper I at Ordinary Level held during the May 1997 session. An evaluation of a 10% representative sample of candidates' papers was conducted and performances were compared by type of school and by gender. The candidates were divided into five groups namely those who had attended Girls' Private Schools, Girls' Junior Lyceums, Girls' Area Secondary Schools, Boys' Private Schools and Boys' Junior Lyceums. A questionnaire was designed to be completed by the teachers who prepared these Form V students sitting for English Literature during this session. The main findings revealed that: a) the students' performance was not very successful, in fact, their mean score for Paper I stood at 24.08 out of a maximum of 50, emphasising the importance of a liaison between teachers, paper setters and paper markers for improved achievements; b) the girls' performance was superior to the boys', the former recording a mean of 24.7 and the latter a mean of 22.37, concluding that girls do perceive literature in a better light than their male counterparts, as can be confirmed in many studies; c) the performance of the Junior Lyceum candidates was superior to that of the other candidates indicating that State Junior Lyceums are of the highest standard when compared to Area Secondary Schools and Private Schools; d) the Girls' Area Secondary School candidates' examination results compared extremely well with the rest, especially in Section "A", where they scored the highest mean; e) the examination paper should not be judged as being too difficult, a perspective agreed upon by both teachers and students, although more attention should be given by the paper setters when setting the rubrics; f) the paper markers should follow the marking scheme more strictly in order to reduce inter-marker unreliability which caused room for concern in the present study; and g) the majority of teachers were satisfied with their students' performance, though suggestions were proposed which, if taken into consideration, might enhance the teaching and learning processes.