Causes and Effects of Examination Malpractice in Secondary Schools

 

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

This research was designed to investigate the reasons students cheat at examinations, the methods they adopt in cheating, the main sources of examination leakages and the effects of examination malpractices in secondary schools in Ovia South-West South-West Local Government rea! Literature review showed that students cheat in examination "ecause they want to ac#uire a certificate through examination for which they have not prepared well! These studies show that students cheat "ecause examinations are not well-conducted and supervised "y examiners! The main research instrument used was the #uestionnaire to which two hundred $%&&' randomly-selected senior secondary school $SS(' students responded! The research  procedure also involved oral interviews to which sixteen principals and randomly-selected randomly-selected teachers responded! )nformation gathered were used in testing the hypothesis of study among which were $a' there is a relationship "etween the urge for success and violating examinations norms* $"' students who have not prepared well enough are most likely to cheat t the examination!! )t was concluded that $i' candidates cheat at examinations "ecause they want to pass the examinations for which they are ill prepared, which is too much pri+ed  "y the society! society! $ii' ost mem"ers of the school community community particularly, the of office fice personnel and to some extent, the teachers and often guilty of examination malpractices! The study therefore recommended that examination papers should "e set few days to the examinations in order to reduce the chances of teachers discussing such papers with the favoured students  "efore that examinations!

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACK GROUND OF STUDY There is evidence that examinations are some of the controversial controve rsial issues in educational system. Due to its nature it was attracted attracted much criticism. Some of should be laid on examinations while others advocate understanding of subject matter rather than recourse of examinations.

However, examinations are known to play very important roles in our educational system. s stated by Stephen !"#$#%

 

 &There are numerous numerous examples in all countries of examinations while wh ile are re reali ality ty,, and fre' fre'ue uentl ntly y in nam name e also, also, co comp mpeti etitio tions ns designed to eliminate the majority of candidates and allocate the remainder to certain known vacancies in, for example, the civil services in secondary schools, in college or university

(n essence, examinations are used to determine pass or fail of a student or group of students in the opinion of Stephen  )*history seems seems to support the view that setting children children against one on e an anot othe herr in tria trials ls an and d comp compet etit itio ions ns ha has s al alwa ways ys been been a resp re spec ectab table le means means of inc inciti iting ng the them m of de deal* al***.  stu stude dent nt wh who o know kn ows s th that at he mi migh ghtt fa fall ll on exam examin inat atio ion n whic which h will will in tu turn rn determine his progress or promotion will strive hard in order to pass. This once more encourage p kind of competition within groups of students who will dim at nigh position in their classes. +xaminations are also used for academic stratification or for assigning grades to students. or decade, the -est frica +xam +x amin inat atio ion n o oun unci cill aw awar ards ds re resu sult lts s on th the e basi basis s of so some me stratification*s and three. The contemporary practice of !/..+%. Students are stratified into distinction, credit merit and pass,

 

while in the university also, students are stratified into first, second !upper and lower% or third class degrees having gone through an examination.

These The se grades grades ar are e a measu measure re of suc success cess a and nd pre prestig stige. e.



child with a division one pass in school certificate examination will be

regarded

by

those

around

him

as

academicall lly y

precocious.

He is also likely to have a place in the institution of higher learning or in job situation within the society easier than a child with a division three pass.

ll these conditions have combined to influence a child*s attitude to an examination0 attitude which always colonnade in an urge for success in any particular examination whether or not he had prepared for it. These competitions in school have theirr para thei parallel llel in the society society..

(n /wa /wana* na*s s !"#1#% !"#1#% view &in the

business sector, the more theoretical examinations one passes, the better chances of advancement eve it productivity does not

 

increase.

This is the social context in which candidate and staff operates2. The so soc cie ietty is kno known to consist sist of speciali iali3e 3ed d func unctio ion ns re'uiring from its members ability to cope with.

The society also accords some functions higher status than others. Thus we find that two graduates from the same school and in the same field may be given different functions with one being look upon with more respect than the other. There are often more claimants who have gone through an examination.

+xaminations are also used for other purpose. They are desi de sign gned ed as a basi basis s fo forr lice licens nsin ing. g. n exam exampl ple e acco accord rdin ing g to Stephen* is the driving text. /o one so far, far, wis wishes hes to put a limit to th the e nu numb mber er of driv drive ers on the the ro road ad or ton ton set set mo moto tori rist sts s comp co mpeti eting ng ag again ainst st each each other other in a se serie ries s of pr prof ofici icien ency cy text text designed to knock out all but a small pre4determined 'uantity to top grade performance. The authority have every desire to ensure that those who handle cars are capable of doing so with at lea least st a min minimu imum m of effic efficien iency2 cy2 ll licen licensin sing g examin examinati ation ons s area mans of screening undesirables, so as to make life safer

 

for many on our roads.

Steph Ste phen en the ed educa ucatio tionis nistt als also o posse posses s the belie believe ves s tha thatt examinations are used as tools for social engineering. &(n this resp re spec ectt th they ey ha have ve been been us used ed as to tool ols s fo forr brea breaki king ng thro throug ugh h social class barriers and speeding social mobility2 These are the reasons

we

find

that

we

cannot

escape

one

kind

the

examination or the other. +mphasis is always on pass because this will again determine who should have a particular job in the absenc nce e of it on the spot of exam xamin ina ation ions such as 5ral examinations.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

rom the background given to this study, it could be seen thatt exami tha examinat nation ion plays plays an imp import ortant ant role role in ou ourr educ educati ation onal al system

as

well

as

the

society

we

live

in.

but

hones

exam ex amin inat atio ions ns ar are e hard hard to find find no nowa wada days ys.. 6a 6alp lpra ract ctic ices es in examinations have been reported since "#"7 when there was a le leak akag age e or 'ues 'uesti tion on pape papers rs in the the seni senior or amb ambrridge idge loca locall examination. +ver since, there have been cases of irregularities reported on a yearly basis. 8ut, the outstanding years were

 

"#$9, "#$1, "#1:, "#19, "#11, "#1#, "#;", "#;<, "#;1, "##", "##7 "# #7,, "##< "##<,, "##$ "##$,, "##1 "##1,, "##; "##;,, "### "###,, =::: =:::,, !-e !-est fri frica can n +xamination ouncil, =::7%.

6alpractice*s have spread nationwide including +do State but no one seems to know the extent it has gone in particular areas and why they occur there. This investigation is therefore designed

to

in'uire

into

the

problem

of

examination

malpr ma lprac actic tice* e*s s in secon secondar dary y sc schoo hools ls in 5via 5via So South uth -est >o >ocal cal ?overnment rea of +do State.

SUB PROBLEMS:

(n orde orderr to be ab able le to ef effe fect ctiv ivel ely y inve invest stig igat ate e the the main main problems as stated above the following sub problems are to be investigated.

a.

-hat are the examination malpractices in Secondary Schools in 5via South -est >ocal ?overnment rea@

b.

-hat hat is th the e exte xtent of th tho ose in inv volv lve ed in the the exam xaminat inatio ion n malpractice@

 

c.

-hy do do th they ey iin nvo volv lve e in e exa xam minat inatio ion n ma malp lpra ract ctic ices es@ @

d.

How do tthe hey y cheat in exam amin inat atio ion n@

e.

-hat -hat are are the the eff effec ects ts of of this this m malp alpra ract ctic ice* e*s s on on the the st stud uden ents ts,, school and the society in general@

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

5n the basis of the problems, the following were formulatedA

a.

There

is

a

relation

between

parents

and

teacher

expectancy rate and students cheating in an examination.

b.

Students who have not being properly taught by the teachers are most likely to violate examination integrity.

c.

Stud Studen ents ts unse unseri riou ous s at atti titu tude de towa toward rds s stud studyi ying ng ha hard rd en enou ough gh are most likely to cause cheating in an examination.

d.

Ther There e is a re rela lati tion ons ship hip be betw twee een n stude student nts s str stron ong g de des sir ire e to succeed and violating examination norms.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

+xamination malpractice have been on the increase since

 

"#$9 "# $9*s *s,, th thes ese e ma malp lpra ract ctic ice* e*s s in indu dulg lgen entt le lear arn n new new ta tact ctic ics s or methods of the crime. The purpose of this study therefore is to inve in vest stig igat ate e

in into to

so some me

im impo port rtan antt

expe expect cts s

of

ex exam amin inat atio ion n

malpractice*s. This study will help specifically to find outA

a.

Beason asons ss stu tude dent nts sc che heat at at ex exam amin inat atio ions ns..

b.

The The me meth thod od st stud uden entt us use e in ch chea eatin ting g at ex exam amin inat atio ion. n.

c.

The exte xtent of th the e in inv volve lvement of th the e socie ietty, teac teach hers, rs, parents and the pupils on the malpractice*s.

d.

The The ef effe fect ct of exa exami mina nati tion on ma malp lpra ract ctic ice* e*s s on pu pupi pils ls,, scho school ol and the society at large.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

8ene 8e nefi fits ts will will be deri derive ved d fr from om this this stud study y. i irs rstl tly y, it wi will ll expose the extent to which students, parents and teachers are involved in these malpractice*s secondly it will provide a remedy or a lasting solution to examination malpractice*s.

Thir Th irdl dly y, it will will gu guid ide e ed educ ucat ator ors s wh who o ca can n su sugg gges estt way ays s of  eliminating the sources of examination malpractices