Counseling: A Strong Tool for Checking Examination Malpractice and Coping With Examination Anxiety
Chapter One
Research Objectives
- To assess the personal counseling strategies that are useful in curbing examination malpractices in secondary schools in Anambra state,
- To assess the educational social counselling strategies that is used in curbing examination malpractice and coping with examination anxiety in Nnewi,
- To assess the teacher participation strategies that is useful in curbing Examination Malpractices in Secondary Schools in Anambra State,
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Review
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 Portharcourt 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. Despite all these laws, examination malpractice has been on the increase and thus may be due to non- implementation of the laws. Reasons for it being the low moral standard in schools, candidates‟ fear of failure, lack of confidence in themselves, inadequate preparation, laziness and „419‟ syndrome that have eaten deep into the life of the society.
Types of Examination Malpractice
According to Ezekiel-Hart (2011), there are three major types of examination malpractice:
Type I: Cheating before the examination: This type of cheating occurs when students are given already prepared examination questions prior to the examination. This gives them the opportunity to read only for particular questions or even take already prepared answers into the examination hall. This type of cheating often occurs with the collaboration of the subject teacher, the typists or anybody to whom the examination question are exposed before the actual examination date.
Type 2: Cheating during the examination: This is the most common type of malpractice. It occurs within the examination time and venue where students cheat by copying from one another, or from notebooks and textbook brought into the venue. Some students pay others to write for them, branding them mercenaries. Others copy from their body or stuff their pockets, brassieres, pants with copied materials. The use of impersonators has made examination a meaningless tool for assessment.
Type 3: Cheating after examination: This type of malpractice involves the changing of examination grades in return for material gains. This is where student termed „sorting‟ is derived. At this stage, students offer money or gifts to teachers, or other personnel involved with examination results in exchange for higher grades. Teachers who turn down these usually mouth watering offers are often described s „unsortable‟ by students. Evidence abound that examination malpractice occurs in varying degrees and manners at all levels of education.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The study adopted a descriptive survey research. Nworgu, (2006) refers to survey as one which a group of people or items is studied by collecting and analyzing data from a few people or items considered to be representative of the group. This design is appropriate for this study because the study involved collecting and describing data obtained from a sample of a population in order to determine the strategies for counselling against “examination malpractices” among secondary school students in Secondary schools in Anambra State of Nigeria.
Area of Study
The study was carried out in secondary schools in Nnewi, Anambra state of Nigeria.
Population of Study
The population for the study comprised all the principals, teachers, counselors and secretaries of parents’ teachers associations (PTA) in Anambra state Nigeria because of their direct contact with the students and thereby hold key positions in influencing students in engaging in examination conduct. According to the available data from the post primary schools management board (PPSMB) there are 38 principals, 38 PTA secretaries, 1088 teachers and 41 counsellors in secondary schools in Anambra education zones of Anambra state Nigeria. Therefore, the population for the study comprises 1205 respondents.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT PRESENTATION
Data Presentation
Research question 1: what Socio/personal counselling strategies will be useful in curbing examination malpractices among secondary school students in Anambra state Nigeria?
Table 1. Respondents’ Mean Ratings of the Personal/Social Counselling Strategies That Will be Useful in Curbing ‘Examination Malpractices’ among Secondary School Students
CHAPTER FIVE
RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
Recommendations
The following recommendations are made based on the findings:
- Principals and school supervisors should make school supervision and standards monitoring more supportive inorder to ensure that school activities facilitate positive value-orientation and sustain students’ interest in school based
- Guidance counsellors should be recognized, motivated, empowered and given the opportunity to offer thevaluable services needed form effective management and eradication of students’ involvement in examinations
- Educational management bodies, principals and PTA should sponsor and mount campaigns through billboards,handbills, seminars and jingles to modify student’s attitudes to “examination malpractice” and emphasize the value of hard work for
- Teachers should see counselors as partners in progress and collaborate with them in counselling students against“examination malpractices”.
- Capacity-building opportunities should be provided for teachers and counselors to improve their counsellingcapabilities in students’ social and educational guidance. Handbook on basic tips on counselling should be published for teachers’
- Students, teachers and parents should be sensitized through media jingles to understand that education is not allabout passing examinations at all costs.instead education is about gaining useful knowledge and skills for personal and societal productivity and that this can never be achieved through “examination malpractices”.
Implication of the Findings and Conclusion
What the findings of this study imply is that several social, educational and staff forum strategies will be useful and unless the strategies identified in this study are vigorously implemented; school counselling might not contribute much in the fight against “examination malpractices” as one of the corrupt practices in the secondary education sector. In conclusion therefore, counselors, principals, parents and teachers have roles to play in counselling against students’ involvement in “examination malpractices”. Principals should recognize the indispensable roles of counselling to school development and the counsellors should sit up and display appreciable levels of resourcefulness and competence in counselling students not only against “examination malpractices” but also other vices in the school system and also help them on how to develop vocational interests.
References
- Egbo, A. C. (2013). Development of Guidance and Counselling. Anambra: Agada Prints. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education. Lagos: NERDC.
- Ifelumni, I. (2005). The Missing Link in Nigerian Education System. A keynote Presented at the Conference on the State of Education in Nigeria, Held at Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, On 13th June 2005.
- Iwuama, B. C. (1999). Foundations of Guidance & Counselling. Imo: Joe Mankpa Publishers. Nnabuike, E. K. (2013). Practical Guide to Effective Teaching. Anambra: Hallmark Publishers.
- Nwanna, O. C. (2006). Major School Offences in Nigeria Ikenga. Journal of African Studies in University of Nigeria Nsukka Campus, 1(2), 66-75.
- Nworgu, B. C. (2006). Educational Research, Basic Issues and Methodology. Anambra: University Trust publishers.
- Odo, J. (2014). Who and who Cheats during Examination. A paper presented at the Orientation of newly admitted students Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Auditorium on 24th January 2004.
