Teachers’ Perspectives of Chemistry Examinations for the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination in Arusha Region, Tanzania

This study examined secondary school teachers’ perceptions of the chemistry examinations administered as a part of the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination in Tanzania. Utilising qualitative research approach and multiple case research design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with 14 chemistry teachers teaching Form 4 across public and private secondary schools in Arusha region of Tanzania. The findings revealed that chemistry practical and theory examination papers for the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination differ in terms of validity of the items, examination administration approach, topic distribution, students’ attitudes, and contents coverage during the teaching and learning process. The study found that the items for the chemistry practical and theory examinations for the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination are valid in terms of content and construct validity; however, the content validity and construct validity in the practical paper were higher than in the theory examination paper. On the basis of these findings the study recommends that the National Examinations Council of Tanzania review the Chemistry Certificate of Secondary Education Examination format, especially the topic’s distribution between practical and theory examinations. The study concludes that the performance gap between chemistry practical and theory examination papers for the Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations is caused by ineffective preparation of students under competence-based curriculum, lack of regular in-service training programmes, examination coverage scope, and ineffective implementation of formative assessment.