The Impact of Examination-Oriented Teaching on Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Mathematics in Senior High Schools in the Volta Region of Ghana

The study explored how much the teaching method that emphasized examinations affected students’ understanding of mathematics concepts in Senior High Schools. The research was quantitative correlational in nature, and a total of 312 students were stratified randomly selected from a total population of 1,650. Data was gathered through a structured questionnaire designed to measure students’ understanding of the content and their perceptions of examinations as an element of teaching. For the analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression methods were applied. The results showed a moderate negative correlation between teaching through exams and students’ knowledge of concepts (r = -0.43, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that teaching through examinations was a significant predictor of conceptual understanding, accounting for 15% of the variance (β = -0.43, p < 0.001). The research suggests that test-centric teaching practices can hinder deep conceptual learning and advises teachers to combine exam preparation with activities that foster reasoning, explaining, and problem-solving skills. The study provides empirical support for the decision-makers and the educators to maximize the assessment-driven teaching without sacrificing the conceptual understanding of the students.