Graduation Term

Summer 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of English

Committee Chair

Kris Lewis

Committee Member

Lisya Seloni

Abstract

Persistent concerns in WAEC Chief Examiners’ Reports consistently attribute declining student performance on the WASSCE English Language examination to limited vocabulary knowledge. Despite these recurring observations, little research has explored how teachers respond to the vocabulary demands embedded within this high-stakes examination. This qualitative study investigates (1) how Senior High School English teachers prepare students for the vocabulary demands of the WASSCE English paper and (2) how the assessment pressures influence instructional practices and classroom decision-making.  Drawing on communicative competence, multiliteracies, and washback, the study employed a descriptive case study design and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus group data from 11 English teachers across Categories A, B, and C Senior High Schools in Ghana’s Central Region.

The findings reveal that vocabulary instruction is predominantly exam-oriented, emphasizing lexical selection tied to anticipated test tasks and tactical preparation practices aimed at maximizing examination performance. Vocabulary was frequently framed as a tool for succeeding in the composition, comprehension, summary, oral, and objective sections of the WASSCE rather than as a resource for broader communicative participation. Although teachers

expressed commitments to communicative and contextualized language learning, opportunities for multimodal meaning-making, and authentic language use remained limited. The study highlights tensions between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and assessment-driven practices within exam-bound curricula shaped by accountability pressures and resource disparities.  These findings contribute to scholarship on vocabulary assessment, high-stakes washback, and instructional alignment in postcolonial contexts and highlight the need for stronger assessment literacy and better alignment between communicative language learning and assessment practices.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

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