Effect of science process skills and entry grades on academic scores of student teachers

The development and acquisition of science process skills (SPS) in science education are closely linked to the development of 21st-century skills and improvements in academic performance. To help facilitate the development of SPS in learners, teachers should acquire and exhibit SPS. This study assesses the SPS acquired by final-year students in a college of education who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education, using regression correlation to find relationships between their acquired SPS, entry qualifications and academic performance. A parametric achievement test was used to assess the SPS acquired by the student teachers and extant data were used to construct their entry qualifications and academic performance. The data for the study were collected from 236 student teachers in four science colleges affiliated with the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. The results indicated that SPS contributed more to better academic performance than did students’ entry qualifications. However, the nature of assessment of academic performance was such that basic SPS was a better influencer of academic performance than integrated SPS. It is recommended that, aside from entry qualifications, SPS acquired by candidates aspiring to pursue science programmes in tertiary institutions should be considered for admissions, and academic assessment instruments should be improved to encourage acquisition and development of integrated SPS. © (2024), (Ekip Buro Makineleri A.). All Rights Reserved.