Examination Malpractice and Effective Learning in Tertiary Institutions Cross River State
Chapter One
Aim of the study
To analyze the causes and effects of examination malpractices on effective learning in tertiary institutions in Cross River state.
Objectives of study
- To investigate the nature and extent of examination malpractices in Tertiary institutions in Cross River state.
- To establish the causes of examination malpractices in Tertiary institutions in Cross River state.
- To explore the measures that have been taken to combat examination malpractices in Tertiary institutions in Cross River state.
- To make an ethical assessment of the causes and effects of examination malpractices in Tertiary institutions in Cross River state.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework
Concept of Examination Malpractices Meaning and Nature of Examination Malpractices
Examination malpractice has been given different meanings by different scholars with the meanings pointing at one thing. Akpama, Bassey, Idaka and Bassey (2009) viewed examination malpractice as an unlawful behaviour or activity engaged by school children at whatever level of education, to have personal advantage in examination over their mates who are completing in the same examination. Joshua (2008) opined that examination malpractice is any unauthorized or unapproved action, inaction, activity, behaviour or practice that is associated with the preparation, conduct and processing of examination and other forms of assessment and carried out by any person involved in preparing for, giving, taking and processing that examination at any level. In the view of the University of Cross River Academic Policies (2009), examination malpractice refers to all forms of cheating which directly or indirectly falsify the ability of the students. The definition above is an “unwholesome behaviour which help the doer to perform better than he / she would ordinary done if not for the act”.
Similarly, Hudson (2006) viewed examination fraud as „the act as to cheat ones way to success in an examination‟. He equated examination malpractice with „Expo‟ which he described as „a form of misconduct in examination halls‟. Also in their contributions, Ibiam (2007) and WAEC (2005) posited that examination malpractice is an abdication of examination ethics as those values which constitute free and fair examination standard. Ibiam opined that cheating in examination is a vice that makes examination lose fairness as “a test of knowledge”.
Daramola and Oluyeba (2007) saw examination malpractice as any irregular behaviour exhibited by candidate or any body charged with the conduct of examination in or outside the examination hall, before during or after such examination. They include the following as examination malpractice, paper leakage, cheating, impersonation, swooping of scripts in the examination hall, collusion, result / certificate forgery, physical / verbal assault on examination administration.
Oluamaro (2009) wrote „dubbling, giraffing, talkie, use of computers, body writing, string pull method, local syndicate, stamped method false pockets, under lockers are all included as forms of examination malpractices‟. Onanuga (2008) also said that examination malpractices are categorized as either internally aided or externally aided. The internally aided in the student „giraffing‟, while the externally aided include peripheral answer scripts and supervisors accepting already prepared answer books when packing other candidates answer scripts.
In an article written by Onunuaga (2009), he believes that the perpetration of examination malpractice is an embarrassing act involving parents, students and teachers even the authorities. He went further to say that the society is corrupt. The always search for the best for their children, they are the main culprits of examination malpractices, they spend what they have to get what they need. The corrupt parents and their wares, he explained that the aim of any body establishing a private school or tutorial centre is to male profit. They aid examination malpractice in order to have more students and more money.
However examination malpractice act 33 of 1999 revised the above decree but now stipulated punishment ranging from a fine of N50,000.00 to N100,000.00 and imprisonment for a term of 3-4 years with or without option of fine. This new development is due to the inability of the appropriate authorities to enforce the old Decree 20 of 1985.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN
Design of the Study
The researcher adopted a descriptive survey research method in ascertaining. The influence of students attitudinal behaviour towards examination malpractice on effective learning among university students, using selected schools in Cross River Local Government Area. A descriptive survey research method according to Iwuji (2000) „is primarily intended to describe the nature and degree of conditions which exist‟. Osegbo and Enemou (2009) posited: „descriptive survey are concerned with the description of events as they are‟.
Area of the Study
The study was conducted in municipal in Cross River state. Tertiary institutions in this area was used as case study.
Population of the Study
The population for this study was made up of one hundred and fifty (150) students and fifty (50) teachers from five (5) selected schools in Cross River Local Government Area in Cross River State.
Sample and Sampling Techniques
For clarity of purpose, the researchers selected one hundred and fifty (150) students and fifty (50) teachers, totalling two hundred (200) in from five schools (secondary) in Cross River Local Government Area, using purposive sampling techniques.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Section A (students’ responses)
Table 1
Research Question 1: To what extent can the problem of examination malpractice be solved?
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
This chapter dealt with the discussion of findings, educational implication of the study, limitations of the study, suggestions for further study, recommendations, summary of the study and conclusion. Meanwhile, discussion of the findings will be presented in the categories of sections A and B, but in accordance with the research questions in each category.
Discussion of the Findings
Research Question 1: To what extent can the problem of examination malpractice be solved?
In table v which showed the results of the above question, it was discovered that adequate funding of secondary education, employment of qualified and dedicated teachers, student desire to acquire knowledge, adequate check of entry requirements and qualifications, as well as adequate sitting arrangements during examination constitute part of how the examination frauds could be remedied.
The findings are in consonants with Shonekan (2011) who partly proffers „provision of adequate facilities in terms of textbooks, well-equipped laboratories, classroom, conducive teaching and learning atmosphere and covering of syllabuses by the teachers‟ as probable solution to examination malpractices.
Research question 2: What are the effects of examination malpractices on the performance of students?
Table IV presented the result of the findings based on the above research question and revealed that impairment of the objectives of secondary education, discouragement of good student from studying hard, cancellation of examination / confiscation of results, poor performance of university students at work places, as well as, de-recognition of university students, constitutes the effects of examination fraud on the performance of university students.
In line with the findings, Falade (2012), observed that West African Examination Council (WAEC) has decided to cancel in its entirely some of the withheld results of November/December 2011 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) based on the decision of the Nigerian Examination Committee‟s (NEC) recommended sanctions. In the same way Jimoh (2009), lamented that examination frauds lead to loss of ones integrity, bread unproductive and non-functional graduates. The findings of the research questions are in line with these previous researchers.
Section B (Teachers responses)
Research question 4: How do we determine the extent of damages examination malpractices has done to our educational system Table Vii presented the summary and findings for the above question, and revealed the followings are the effects of examination malpractice on the performance of students: emergence of bad reputation to the school found guilty, fasten the destruction of the standard of education, parents withdrawal of their children from the affected school, employers loss of confidence in the educational system, as well as the inability of students/graduates to prove the worth of the certificate. According to Edikpa (2006), examination malpractices have continued to threaten the relevance and quality of education. This also suggests that confidence in our educational system is now eluded, as employers have devised a new way of testing graduates seeking for job, in as much as, the candidates may possess first-class honour.
Research question 3: What are the control measures in bringing about solutions for examination malpractices?
In table Viii, the findings of the above question were revealed. These include the control measures are as follows:
safe keeping of examination questions and answered scripts, adequate spacing of students during examination, re-orientation of invigilators/supervisors and teachers on examination ethics, adequate funding of school in all ramification, self discipline on the part of both teachers and invigilators.
In the words of Shonekan (2011), adequate and large examination halls, employment of school guidance counselors to counsel students, as well as the increment of supervisors and invigilators in the examination hall, constitute part of the ways that examination frauds could be arrested.
Educational Implication of the Study
The results of the study have exposed some educational areas where attention should be paid to. It is not an exaggeration to say that examination misconduct is prevalent in tertiary institutions especially in Cross River Local Government Area in Cross River State. This ugly situation is engendered by the students desire to obtain excellent performance in examination, so as to present themselves as proud children to their parents.
The study also exposed various forms of malpractices students perpetrate and their reasons for doing so, i.e. the causes and the aftermath of the act. This is because in a society that examination is predominant, its impact are visibly seen in the type of human resources the educational system has trained.
Students‟ academic laziness, truancy, corruption and indiscipline among teachers are some of the factors identified by the study to contribute to examination malpractices. Educationally, this implies that students should be motivated to develop the habit of serious reading. If possible, adequate attendance to lessons should be encouraged and reinforced.
On the part of the teachers, the stakeholders in education should re-orient teachers who are corrupt and irresponsible. They should be treated with disdain so as to serve as warming to other intended teachers and s…. such away from engaging in such unwholesome act.
School timetable entry into our tertiary institutions, qualities of teachers, etc should be properly checked by the stakeholders in education to help checkmate the ugly trend of examination misconduct among tertiary institutions and other levels of schools.
Recommendations
Based on the findings made so far, the researchers wish to recommend the following;
- There should be re-orientation towards moral values. Moral instructions that can adequately provide the understanding of the ills in examination malpractice should constitute part of their curricular.
- Logistic value should be applied. There should be proper control of the supply, distribution and custodian of examination materials should be made in order to avoid leakage.
- There should be a serious re-orientation of the Nigerian society on discipline monetary or material achievement such as certificates.
- The guidance and counseling services in tertiary institutions should also help to offer guidance to the students in their choices of subject according to their individual and natural abilities and interests.
- Tertiary institutions that are found in such ugly acts should be banned for a period of time, and the names of such schools and their officials involved should be announced and finally publicized so as to serve as a deterant in intending schools.
- The government should encourage and motivate the school administrators by ensuring that they are all well paid and ensure that their conditions of service are secured. There is need for adequate provision of educational materials and facilities that will be conducive and motivate both the students and teachers for proper and effective teaching and learning. The teeming popularity of students should also be considered in the course of all these, to minimize examination malpractice.
- Charity they say begins at home. Parents should extol hard work, dignity of labour and discouraged dubious and fraudulent behaviour such as providing their wards with money to obtain marks or question papers. They should make out time to check the performance of their children and start on time to help them in difficult areas or even pay private teachers to aid them at home instead of buying marks for them. This will help curb the ugly malaise of examination malpractice.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, it has been seen by other learned people that this examination malpractices could be traced as far back as 1914, so many years age before WAEC was established. In other words, examination is not a thing of today. This paper has taken a cursory look at the concept of examination malpractice among university students. it identified its causes, forms and effects. The paper also highlighted the solutions that can help to bring lasting solutions to the deadly cankerworm.
Every problem has a solution. What it takes to eradicate examination malpractice in tertiary institutions is to encourage and motivate students to read and the teachers to discipline themselves and maintain discipline in all ramifications. Both people should imbibe good moral values. The parents at home should try and inculcate good moral to their wards. This is because the teachers, students and parents are in a better position to eradicate it since every effort at committing examination malpractice is to get excellent results and amiable certificates to be employable and make money. The teachers and students have roles to play in order to eradicate examination malpractice.
Again, if the saying that the youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow is valid, then everybody must make „an to nip‟ this horrifying situation in the bud for a better standard in our secondary and other levels of education.
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