Social Studies (SBA Sample)

A study to determine what impact educators’ use of technology in
conjunction with their teaching is having on the academic
performance of form five students at Tunapuna Secondary School.
Candidate’s Name: Lenix Lendore
Candidate’s Number: 1600890552
School: Tunapuna Secondary School
Centre Number: 160089
Territory: Trinidad and Tobago
Teacher:
Caribbean Examination Council
School-Based Assessment
Social Studies
2017

(i)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Undoubtedly, with sincere gratitude and appreciation, I firstly wish to thank my teacher, for her
guidance through the process of completing my Social Studies School-Based Assessment (SBA).
Her enthusiasm for the subject kept me engaged in my research.
Secondly, I wish to thank the students of forms 5L, 5M and 5R who kindly agreed to participate
in the study by filling out a copy of the questionnaire; this SBA would not have been possible
without their help.
Finally, I wish to thank my family and friends for their continued support and encouragement.

(ii)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Statement of the Problem……………………………………………..…………. 1
Reasons for Selecting this Area of Research……………………………………. 2
Method of Investigation…………………………………………………..……... 4
Data Collection Instrument……………………………………………………… 5
Procedures for Data Collection………………………………………………… 9
Presentation of Data…………………………………………………………..… 10
Analysis and Interpretation…………………………………………………….. 15
Statement of Findings………………………………………………………….. 19
Recommendations and Implementation Strategy……………………………… 20
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………. 22
Appendix………………………………………………………………………… 23

(1)
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
What impact is educators’ use of technology in conjunction with their teaching having on the
academic performance of form five students at the Tunapuna Secondary School?
This study seeks to investigate:
1. If any teachers use technology together with their teaching and if any impact was seen in
the academic performance of students.
2. If students favour a particular style of teaching (the use of technology, regular modes of
teaching, or both)
3. How students feel about educators use of technology such as multimedia projectors,
laptops, radios, and television, in the classroom.

(2)
REASON FOR SELECTING THIS AREA OF RESEARCH
This researcher has always been interested in the potential use of technology in revolutionising
the way teachers teach. Technology is everywhere and it has been integrated into almost every
aspect of our lives. No one can deny its effect especially affecting the way we socialize, function
and also how we learn. In today’s world, it is almost impossible to escape the far-reaching
ubiquitous arm of technology. It is evident that technology has become a prodigious norm for all
young persons, adults and even the elderly.
Naturally, this researcher is of the opinion that this topic is of vital importance to the lives of
students. As a student attending the Tunapuna Secondary School, this researcher has engaged in
numerous conversations with fellow form five students regarding their opinions about the
potential improvement on their grades with the infusion of technology in the classroom. From
these conversations, it was evident that the majority of students seem to be in favour of teachers
using technology in the classroom. They seem to share the views of the Edutopia team who
noted in an online article in 2008 entitled, “Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum? The
Reasons Are Many”:
“Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to
reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple
means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology
is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content
expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and
fun”. (see Appendix 1)

(3)
This researcher’s interest in the topic was further piqued after reading the following statement
made by CXC’s Registrar, Dr. Didicus Jules, who challenged countries to revisit teaching
methods:
“the chalk and talk mode of teaching is dead and it is time teachers start using the tools
available to reach their more technologically savvy students.” (See Appendix 2)
This researcher wishes to find out whether teachers in Tunapuna Secondary School are using
technology in the classroom and, if so, what impact (if any) it is having on the academic
performance of students. Additionally, the researcher is interested in finding out if students
favour a particular style of teaching (the use of technology, regular modes of teaching, or both),
whether teachers are requiring students to utilise technology in the completion of assignments
and whether students themselves are actually using technology to complete assignments.

(4)
METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
The method of investigation that this researcher will be using to collect data is a survey to be
conducted using a thirty (30) item printed questionnaire. A questionnaire is defined as an
instrument of research consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of
gathering information from respondents on a particular matter. (See Appendix 3) The
researcher chose the printed questionnaire as the method of data collection because of the
following reasons:
 The relatively low cost to print questionnaires,
 The ease in data analysis,
 The ease with which respondents can answer questions,
 The fact that data collection can be achieved within a short timeframe,
 The confidentiality afforded by questionnaires which allows for more honest responses
(respondents can remain anonymous because they are not required to write in their
names).
The questionnaire will consist of both closed-ended questions and open-ended questions that
will give respondents freedom in expressing meaningful answers, and will also include a Likert
Scale.
The researcher intends to print thirty-six (36) copies of the questionnaire which will be
distributed to students from all three of the form five classes at Tunapuna Secondary School.
Since the school is a co-educational institution, an equal number of male and female students
will be surveyed in order to try to get a representative sample of the students. Twelve students
from each class (six male and six female students) will be randomly selectedto complete a copy
of the questionnaire.

(5)
DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT
(COPY OF QUESTIONNAIRE)
This survey is being carried out among form five pupils at the Tunapuna Secondary School. The
aim of the study is to examine what impact educators’ use of technology in conjunction with
teaching is having on the academic performance of students.
You are advised to answer the following questions honestly and truthfully. Your name is NOT
required. There are no correct or incorrect answers. Simply shade the box using a PEN. Please
avoid changing answers. Filling out this questionnairewill help me successfully complete my SBA.
YoursSincerely
L.Lendore
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA:
Gender: ☐Male ☐Female
Age: __________
Religion: ☐Christianity ☐Hinduism ☐Islam Other:_____________________________
Ethnicity: ☐African ☐Indian Mixed Other:__________________________
1. Do any of your teachers use technology (projectors, laptops, radio, television, etc) in the
classroom?
☐Yes ☐No
2. How many of them use technology?
☐ None ☐1 ☐2 ☐3 ☐4 ☐5 ☐6 ☐7
3. How often do they use technology in the classroom?
☐ Never ☐Once a week ☐Twice a week ☐Each class ☐ Other:___________________
4. Is work completed faster when your teacher uses technology?
☐Yes ☐No ☐Not sure ☐Not applicable, none of my teachers use technology
5. What teaching method do you prefer?
☐The use of technology ☐Regular mode of teaching (lectures, discussions)
☐Neither, I like both

(6)
6. What was your academic grade for the last term?
☐GR. 1 ☐GR.2 ☐GR.3 ☐GR.4 ☐GR.5 ☐GR.6
A+ 80-100 A- 70-74 B- 55-59 C- 45-49 D- 26-39 E- 0-25
A 75-79 B+ 65-69 C+ 50-54 C- 40-44
B 60-64
7. Do you think your teacher’s use of technology is having a positive impact on your academic
performance?
☐Yes ☐No ☐Not applicable, none of my teachers use technology
8. How do you feel about the use of technology in the classroom?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
9. Do you think all teachers in this school should use technology in cohesion with teaching?
☐Yes ☐No
10. Do any of your teachers require you to complete and submit assignments using technology?
☐Yes ☐No
11. What kinds of assignments have you completed using technology?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
12. Would you like to be allowed to use technology to make presentations etc. during class (e.g.
PowerPoint presentations, video presentations)?
☐Yes ☐No
13. Do you think students should be allowed to use cell phones in the classroom (e.g. for internet
research, reminders, verbal presentations, etc.)?
☐Yes ☐No
14. If you answered YES to number 13, why do you think so?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

(7)
15. Have you ever used your cell phone while a class was in progress?
☐Yes ☐No
16. Do you think that cell phone use during class can be a distraction?
☐Yes ☐No
17. Have you ever seen other students using cellular devices while a class was in progress?
☐Yes ☐No
18. Why do you think students use cellular devices in the classroom?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
19. Do you think that educators should use technology to accommodate different students’
personal learning styles?
☐Yes ☐No
20. Do you think the use of technology motivates students to get involved in learning activities?
☐Yes ☐No

(8)
For each item identified below, circle the number to the right that best fits your judgment
of its quality. Use the rating scale to select the quality number.
I BELIEVE EDUCATOR’S USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN COHESION
WITH TEACHING…
Surv ey I tem
Scale
S
T
R
O
N
G
L
Y
D
I
S
A
G
R
E
E
U
N
C
E
R
T
A
I
N
A
G
R
E
E
S
T
R
O
N
G
L
Y
1. CAN IMPROVE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. 1 2 3 4 5
2. CAN BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. 1 2 3 4 5
3. IS A VALUABLE TEACHING TOOL. 1 2 3 4 5
4. LIMITS THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS NEEDED. 1 2 3 4 5
5. IS EFFECTIVE ONLY WHEN EXTENSIVE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE. 1 2 3 4 5
6. ALLOWS SYLLABUS TO BE COMPLETED QUICKLY. 1 2 3 4 5
7. IS NOT DIFFICULT BECAUSE SOME STUDENTS ALREADY KNOW MORE
ABOUT VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES.
1 2 3 4 5
8. WILL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF STRESS STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE. 1 2 3 4 5
9. CAPTURES STUDENTS’ ATTENTION. 1 2 3 4 5
10. MOTIVATES AND EXCITES STUDENTS TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN
LEARNING ACTIVITIES.
1 2 3 4 5
D
I
S
A
G
R
E
E
A
G
R
E
E

(9)
PROCEDURES USED FOR DATA COLLECTION
In order to collect data for the research a survey was conducted among form five students of
Tunapuna Secondary School. A printed questionnaire was used for data collection. The
questionnaire consisted of four open-ended questions, sixteen closed-ended questions, and a
ten-question Likert scale.
Respondents were selected by the process of random-sampling. A total of thirty-six copies of
the questionnaire were distributed among the students of the three form five classes at Tunapuna
Secondary School. Twelve students from each form five class were given a copy of the
questionnaire to fill out. In order to achieve a representative sample, an equal number of male
and female students were surveyed, thus of the 36 respondents, 50% were male and 50% were
female.
Questionnaires were distributed for only one day during the lunch break. Although most
respondents expressed annoyance at the length of the questionnaire, a response rate of 100%
was received with no questions left out.

(10)
PRESENTATION OF DATA
Figure 1: Pie-Chart showing the percentage of respondents whose teachers use
technology in the classroom
Figure 1 shows feedback from respondents when asked if any teacher uses technology in the
classroom. The results showed that 92% (33 persons) said “yes” while 8%
(3 persons) said “no”.
92%
8%
Percentage of respondentswhose teachers
use technology in the classroom
Yes
No

(11)
Figure 2: Column Chart showing how many of the respondents’ teachers use
technology in the classroom
Figure 2 shows that 3 students said none of their teachers use technology, 31 students said two
of their teachers use technology and 2 students said four of their teachers use technology. Since
form five students do seven subjects in total, this suggests that there is room for more teachers to
utilise technology in teaching.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
no
teachers
one
teacher
two
teachers
three
teachers
four
teachers
five
teachers
six
teachers
seven
teachers
No.ofrespondents
No. of teachers
Number of teachers that use technology in
the classroom

(12)
Figure 3A: Frequency Table showing details of respondents’ academic
performance last term
Grades Tally Frequency Percentage
Grade 1 (75-100%) llll 5 14%
Grade 2 (60-74%) llll llll llll llll llll l 26 72%
Grade 3 (50-59%) llll 4 11%
Grade 4 (40-49%) l 1 3%
Grade 5 (26-39%) 0 0%
Grade 6 (0-25%) 0 0%
Totals 36 100%
Figure 3B: Frequency Table showing details of respondents’ academic
performance last term (by gender)
Grades
Males Females
Tally Frequency Percentage Tally Frequency Percentage
Grade 1
(75-100%)
l 1 3% llll 4 11%
Grade 2
(60-74%)
llll llll llll 14 39% llll llll ll 12 33%
Grade 3
(50-59%)
ll 2 5.5% ll 2 5.5%
Grade 4
(40-49%)
l 1 3% 0 0%
Grade 5
(26-39%)
0 0% 0 0%
Grade 6
(0-25%)
0 0% 0 0%
Totals 18 50% 18 50%

(13)
Figure 4: Pictograph showing how students perceive the impact of their teachers’
use of technology in the classroom
 - represents 3 students
Is your teacher’s use of technology
having a positive impact on your
academic performance?
Number of
respondents
Number of
respondents
Percentage of
respondents
(rounded)
Yes 

30 84%
No  3 8%
Not applicable  3 8%
Total 36 100%
The above table shows data collected from respondents when asked if there was any positive
impact of teachers’ use of technology on their academic performance. The results showed that
approximately 84% (30 students) said “yes” to the question, approximately 8% (3 students) said
no, and approximately 8% (3 students) said that the question was “not applicable”.

(14)
Figure 5: Bar-Graph showing which teaching methods students prefer
The above figure shows that 53% of the respondents prefer that their teachers use technology in
the classroom, 39% of the respondents like teachers to use a combination of regular methods as
well as technology and 8% of the respondents prefer teachers to use regular methods such as
lecture and discussion.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
The use of technology
Regular mode of teaching
Neither, I like both
Number of respondents
Preferences
Preferredteaching method

(15)
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
From the biographical data collected 50% (18 respondents) of the students were boys and
50% (18 respondents) were girls ranging in age from 15 to 17 years of age. Most
respondents (78%) came from a Christian background, 19% were Hindus and 3% were
Muslims. Half of the respondents (50%) were mixed race, one quarter (25%) were of
African descent and the other quarter (25%) were of East Indian descent. Only a
representative sample, consisting of 36 persons, was selected in order to conduct this
research.
Of the 36 persons surveyed, when asked if any of their teachers use technology in the
classroom the vast majority (92% or 33/36 respondents) responded in the affirmative.
When asked how many teachers actually use technology in the classroom, 86% (31
respondents) said two teachers use technology, 8% (3 respondents) said none of the
teachers use technology and 6% (2 respondents) said four teachers use technology. When
asked how often their teachers’ use technology, 36% (13 respondents) said that their
teachers use technology in the classroom once per week, 33% (12 respondents) said their
teachers use technology twice per week, 3% (1 respondent) said that teachers use
technology each class, 22% (7 respondents) selected other and 8% (3 respondents) said
never. Although most of the respondents indicated that their teachers use technology
when teaching, only a small percentage of the teachers are using technology and the
vast majority are doing so only once or twice per week. This suggests that there is
room for improvement in the level of technology usage by teachers at Tunapuna
Secondary school and begs the question as to why more teachers are not using
technology more frequently.
In response to the question of whether work is completed much faster when technology is
used, 61% (22 respondents) said that they felt that work is completed faster when
teachers use technology, 31% (11 respondents) were not sure if work is finished faster

(16)
while 8% (3 respondents) found the question not applicable. When asked what teaching
method students prefer, a significant percentage (53% or 19/36 respondents) said they
prefer when their teachers teach with the use of technology, followed by 39% (14
respondents) who prefer that teachers use a combination of both technology and regular
methods of teaching. Interestingly, 8% (3 respondents) prefer regular modes of teaching
that do not involve technology. Thus, the research clearly shows that form five students
at Tunapuna Secondary School would prefer if their teachers incorporate some form
of technology into their teaching methodology, mainly because it allows for faster
delivery of the curriculum.
Students were then questioned about their academic grades last term: 14% (5
respondents) received grade 1 (75-100%), 72% (26 respondents) received grade 2 (60-
74%), 11% (4 respondents) received grade 3 (50-59%) and 3% (1 respondent) received a
failing grade, grade 4 (40-49%). No students reported receiving grades 5 or 6, i.e. below
39%. This shows that the majority of the respondents are performing satisfactorily
despite the fact that only a few teachers are using technology to teach. However, with
the pass rate being 65%, there is room for some students to perform better (which
might occur if more teachers try to incorporate technology into their classroom
methodology).
The majority of respondents 91% (33 students) responded positively to the idea of
technology in the classroom. Most respondents (75% or 27 students) think that all
teachers should use technology in the classroom while 25% (9 students) disagreed. A
large percentage of the respondents (89% or 32 students) stated that their teachers require
assignments to be completed using technology. Almost all of the respondents (97%)
indicated that they would like the opportunity to make presentations in class using
technology and 64% of them would like to be able to use their cell-phones during class to
take copies of notes, research vocabulary words and access other internet resources
during class. Interestingly, three quarters of the students (75%) felt that cell-phones

(17)
could be a distraction during class and most of them (94%) have seen students using cell-
phones during class. Some respondents reported using technology to complete SBA’s
(53% or 19 students) and subject assignments (42% or 15 respondents). Only two
respondents indicated that they have never used technology to complete an assignment.
The overwhelming majority of respondents (94%) felt that teachers should try to use
technology to accommodate the different learning styles of students and the same
percentage (94%) felt that technology can go a long way towards motivating students to
get involved in learning activities.
For all questions on the Likert Scale the median response was 4 and the modal response
was 4. This means that overall respondents agreed that technology used in
conjunction with teaching can improve academic achievement, better prepare students
for their future endeavours, is a valuable teaching tool, limits the instructional
materials needed, is effective only when resources are available, is easy because
students are familiar with various technologies, can reduce students stress levels, can
be used to capture students attention and can motivate and excite students to get more
involved in learning.
After further analysis of data collected from the 36 respondents, it can now be said that
although some educators at the Tunapuna Secondary School use technology, there is
room for greater use of technology, more frequently, by a larger number of teachers.
Although some students prefer more traditional modes of teaching, most acknowledge
that work can be completed faster when technology is used.
Most respondents expressed favourable responses when asked about their feelings on
technology integration in the classroom and a large percentage of respondents believe all
teachers should use technology in cohesion with teaching. Despite the limited use of
technology, the majority of the respondents received acceptable grades (3 and above) in

(18)
their last end-of-term exam and a large percentage of them expressed the view that their
teachers’ use of technology has a positive impact of their academic performance. Given
the fact that only a few teachers are using technology and that technology is not used on a
daily basis, however, it is questionable whether technology integration is the reason for
the acceptable grades received by the students who participated in the survey.
Since students have expressed the view that they believe that it can make a positive
impact, this researcher is of the opinion that more needs to be done to encourage more
teachers to use technology more frequently when teaching.

(19)
STATEMENT OF FINDINGS
The researcher found that:
1. A vast majority of the respondents (92%) stated that their teachers use
technology (projectors, laptops, radio, television) in the classroom. Fig. 1
2. Most of the respondents stated that two of the teachers use technology in the
classroom. Fig. 2
3. Most of the respondents received good grades last term. Fig. 3A
4. Last term more female respondents than male respondents performed well
academically. Fig. 3B
5. Most of the respondents think that educators’ use of technology in the
classroom has a positive impact on their academic performance. Fig. 4
6. Most respondents prefer that teachers use technology either exclusively (53%)
or in conjunction with other methods of teaching (39%). Fig. 5

(20)
RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
Recommendations:
1. Additional research should be done on the issue of educators’ use of
technologyintegrating withteaching. This analysis should be done at the
Tunapuna Secondary School (TSS) with the sole purpose of finding out whether
the use of technology is having any positive impact on the academic performance
of students in all year groups (not just form five), and if so, what are some ways to
better incorporate technology with learning, and or enhance the use of technology
at TSS.
2. Technology helps the teachers prepare students for the real world. As our nation
and region become increasingly technology dependent, it becomes necessary for
students to know more about modern technology. Teachers should be trained
and provided withtechnological resources to better equip students withthe
tools they need to survive in an increasingly technology-dependent society.
3. Improve the school’s infrastructure to help facilitate the use of technology in
the classrooms. Proper electrical wiring and the provision of routers to ensure an
adequate supply and proper functioning of internet in the classrooms; These tools
are essential for teachers to reach their students and to facilitate the increased use
of any technology.
Implementation Strategy:
A meeting with the school’s principal should be arranged to inform her of the results of
this research which has revealed that there is a need for more teachers to use technology
together with regular teaching methods in the classrooms of TSS. This researcher would
recommend that the principal conduct a more extensive survey than this one, with the aim

(21)
of determining students’ outlook on the issue and, should the outcome be the same, put
things in place to enable more teachers to use technological tools in the classroom. A
pilot project could be undertaken for at least one school term to establish if any positive
changes in academic grades are made by students. In order to facilitate this process,
additional routers should be acquired and installed throughout the school compound, an
upgrade of the electrical wiring should be made priority, and training programs should be
organised for the teaching faculty. This training can be done in-house by the teachers
that are already using technology.

(22)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. D. Bertram. (undated). Likert Scales …are the meaning of life. Retrieved on
October 10th 2016 from http://my.ilstu.edu/~eostewa/497/Likert%20topic-dane-
likert.pdf
2. L. Buckle-Scott, V. Davis-Morrison, A. Jaimungalsingh, P. Lunt. (2013). Social
Studies for CSEC. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Nelson Thornes Ltd
3. Edutopia. (2008). Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum? The Reasons
Are Many. Retrieved on October 10th 2016 from
https://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction.
4. Information Technology Unit, Ministry of Education. (2013). Information
Communication Technology. Retrieved on October 14th 2016 from
http://moe.edu.tt/services/administration/divisions/ict
5. S. McLeod (2008). Likert Scale. Retrieved on October 10th 2016 from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/likert-scale.html
6. R. Ramsewak and R. Umraw. (2010). Modules in Social Studies with SBA Guide. La
Romaine, Trinidad: Caribbean Educational Publishers, 2010

(23)
APPENDIX 1
Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum? The Reasons Are Many
There's a place for techin every classroom.
By Edutopia
Edutopia Team
MARCH 16, 2008
Technology is ubiquitous, touching almost every part of our lives, our communities, our homes.
Yet most schools lag far behind when it comes to integrating technology into classroom learning.
Many are just beginning to explore the true potential tech offers for teaching and learning.
Properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex,
highly technological knowledge-based economy.
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer
skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen
across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In
particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in
groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective
technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and
when technology supports curricular goals.
Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the ne plus ultra of classroom
instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to
be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern
office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-
solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information
they've found online.
The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more interesting,
diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world
and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and
text.
New tech tools for visualizing and modeling, especially in the sciences, offer students ways to
experiment and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in
understanding. And, as an added benefit, with technology tools and a project-learning approach,
students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems in the
classroom.
Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach
different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also
enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated
into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology
helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.

(24)
APPENDIX 2
Link: http://www.ict-pulse.com/2012/08/technology-classroom/
Site: ICT Pulse
Date: 29/8/2012
Title: Are we truly using technology in the classroom?
Across the region there have been calls for schools and teachers to cater to our increasingly tech-
savvy students. Here are five factors affecting the use of technology in the classroom.
With the recent release of Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examination results, the
quality of the education offered in the Caribbean has been garnering wide debate. At the launch
of the 2012 CXC results, CXC Registrar, Dr Didicus Jules, challenged countries to revisit the
teaching methods being used:
… the “chalk and talk” mode of teaching is dead and it is time teachers’ start using the tools
available to reach their more technologically savvy students… (Source: Demerara Waves)
Dr Jules’ sentiments are not new. Over the past several years, policymakers, along with others
who have some interest in education, have posited similar views, which (in part) would have
been the impetus for initiatives such as One Laptop per Child and the expansion of Internet
broadband access to schools. However, although we have had varying degrees of success to date
on such projects, there might not be any measurable improvement in student performance,
evidenced by the disappointing results at the June 2012 examination sitting. What could be some
of the factors that are affecting the use of technology in the classroom? We highlight five.

(25)
APPENDIX 3
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questionnaire
Site: Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Date: 24/10/ 2016
Title: Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts
for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often designed
for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case. The questionnaire was
invented by the Statistical Society of London in 1838. A copy of the instrument is published in
the Journal of the Statistical Society, Volume 1, Issue 1, 1838, pages 5–13.
Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not
require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have
standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. However, such standardized answers
may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that respondents must be
able to read the questions and respond to them. Thus, for some demographic groups conducting a
survey by questionnaire may not be concrete.

(26)
COMPONENTS OF SBA MARKS
TASK 1: Statement of the Problem
 Problem stated clearly in the formofa question
 Problem unclearbut ina question form
 Problem clearbutnot ina question form
(2)
2
1
1
2
TASK 2: Reason for Selecting the area of research
 Reason statedclearly (supporting information presented)
 Reason unclear
(2)
2
1
2
TASK 3: Method of Investigation
 Method of investigationjustified anddescribed(questionnairedescribed)
 Method of investigationstated
(2)
2
1
2
TASK 4: Data Collection Instrument
 Data collection instrumentvery well constructed and sequencedand addresses relevant variables
 Data collection instrumentwell constructed and sequencedand addresses relevant variables
 Data collection instrumentsatisfactorily constructedand sequenced
 Data collection instrument identified only
(4)
4
3
2
1
4
TASK 5: Procedures for Data Collection
 Procedures to collect data identifiedandclearly described (sampleprocess)
 Procedures to collect data identifiedbut not clearly described
(2)
2
1
2
TASK 6: Presentation of Data
 Data presented using tables, graphs, and charts that are appropriate, well-labeledandaccurate
 Data presented inTHREEways thatareappropriate,not well-labeled butaccurate
 Data presented inTWO ways thatare appropriate, well-labeled andaccurate
 Data presented inTWO ways thatare appropriatewithinaccuracies
 Data presented inONEway thatis appropriate, well-labeledand accurate
 Data presented inONEway withinaccuracies
(6)
6
5
4
3
2
1
6
TASK 7: Analysis and Interpretation of Data
 Analysis and interpretationrelevant andwell-developed
 Analysis and interpretationrelevant andpartially developed
 Analysis and interpretationpartially relevantandpartially developed
 Analysis and interpretationshow limited relevanceand development
(8)
7-8
5-6
3-4
1-2
8
TASK 8: Statement of Findings
 THREEstatements offindings based ondata presented andrelevant toresearchquestion
 TWO statements offindings basedon data presentedand relevantto research question
 ONE statementoffinding basedon data presentedand relevantto research question
(3)
3
2
1
3
TASK 9: Recommendations and Implementation Strategy
 TWO relevantrecommendations and ONEassociatedimplementationstrategy
 TWO relevantrecommendations and NO implementation strategy
 ONE relevantrecommendation and ONEimplementationstrategy
 ONE relevantrecommendation only OR oneimplementationstrategy
(3)
3
2
2
1
3
(a) WRITING SKILLS (4 marks)
 Excellent organization (paragraphing), useofresearch language, spelling and grammar (˂3)
 Good organization, useoflanguage, spelling andgrammar(˂3)
 Satisfactory useoflanguageand grammar and severalspelling errors (˃3),
 Poor use of language, poor grammar andmany spelling errors (˃3), no paragraphing
 Poor use of language, poor grammar andmany spelling errors (˃5 grammar &spelling)
(4)
4
3
2
1
1
4
(b) OVERALL PRESENTATION (4 marks)
 Appropriate layoutwith FOUR elements such as acknowledgements, TableofContents/pagenumbering,
Bibliography/referencing, CoverPage, Appendices
 Appropriate layoutfor themostpart withTHREEelements
 A moderatepresentationwithonly TWO oftheelements
 An unsatisfactory presentation withonly ONEofthe elements
(4)
4
3
2
1
4
TOTAL 40

Social Studies (SBA Sample)

More Related Content

What's hot

Similar to Social Studies (SBA Sample)

Recently uploaded

Social Studies (SBA Sample)