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(a) Revision of the Rationale and Aims to reflect the attributes of the Ideal Caribbean
Person, UNESCO Pillars of Learning and other areas for consideration based on the
political, philosophical and psychological considerations for syllabus development.

(b) Revision and refinement of the General Objectives for all Modules.

(c) Clarification of Specific Objectives, Content and Suggested Teaching and Learning
Activities;

(d) Addition of a third column in each Module for the Suggested Practical Activities.

(e) Recommendation that two new sections entitled Suggestions for Teaching the
Syllabus and The Practical Approach should be included in the syllabus to encourage
teachers to use the inquiry-based approach to teaching the syllabus.

(f) Revision of the syllabus to ensure that it was relevant to real life experiences, and
embrace STEM principles;

(g) Revision of the syllabus with the intention of infusing metrology in the content where
it was applicable; and,

(h) Revision of the format of Paper 031, the School-Based Assessment be changed to
include a research project.

10. The Assistant Registrar/SCD informed the Panel that these recommendations were
incorporated into a draft syllabus for CAPE® Physics that was circulated to teachers, subject specialists
and other stakeholders for comments.

THE PANEL’S RESPONSE TO ISSUES RAISED

Teachers’ Questionnaire

11. The Assistant Registrar/SCD informed the Panel that a seven-page, 13-item questionnaire was
posted on Survey Gizmo and the link was sent to teachers of CAPE® Physics in participating territories.
Completed questionnaires were received from 22 persons in four of the Participating Territories (see
the list of respondents at Appendix II). These territories were Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad
and Tobago. Comments were solicited on the Rationale and Aims and on all the other aspects of the
syllabus, and also on the clarity of the objectives, the adequacy of the content and the validity of the
assessment procedures, including the School-Based Assessment.

12. An analysis of the comments on items of the questionnaire revealed that all of the
respondents agreed that the Rationale clearly articulated the reason for studying Physics. All the
respondents to the survey were also of the opinion that the Aims, and General Objectives, as stated,
adequately reflected the goals of the syllabus. Twenty of the respondents (91 per cent) agreed that
the knowledge and skills covered in the syllabus were appropriate for students in a post-secondary
level programme and that the Modules of the syllabus comprised a coherent Physics programme for
the intended population. One respondent, who disagreed, stated that the syllabus should focus more
on the application of principles and less on knowledge. The members of the Panel were of the opinion
that while they did not want to sacrifice basic knowledge for application, in the revision process a
conscious effort would be made to ensure that there is a balance. This they believed can be done
through improved Explanatory Notes and the Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities. They further

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