Effect of Examination Malpractice on Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to find out the extent to which examination malpractice affects student’s academic performance in senior secondary schools in Educational District V, other purposes include the following:
1) To evaluate teacher’s influence on students’ cheating behavior.
2) To review parents’ influence on students’ cheating behavior.
3) To suggest a possible solution to the examination malpractice’s influence on student’s academic performance.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literatures that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
Precisely, the chapter will be considered in three sub-headings:
- Conceptual Framework
- Theoretical Framework
- Empirical Review
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
EXAMINATION
The oxford advanced learners dictionary (2000) defined examination as spoken or practical test at school or college especially an important one that you need to do in order to get a qualification. The Wikipedia further asserted that a test or examination is an assessment intended to measure a testtakers knowledge or skill, aptitude, physical fitness or classification in many other topics (e.g. beliefs). A test may be administered orally, on a paper, on a computer or in confirmed area that requires a test taker to physically perform a set of skills. Examination is an organized assessment technique which presents individuals with a series of questions or tasks geared towards ascertaining the individual acquired knowledge and skills (Oduwaiye, 2014).
EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
Examination malpractice is defined as any deliberate act of wrong doing, contrary to the rules of examinations designed to give a candidate an undue advantage. Examination malpractice also known as cheating is the illegal action that students take during their examinations to try to make good grades by cutting corners. Examination malpractice is an act or irregular manner of testing candidates which contravenes the rules and conventions guiding the conduct of examinations. Examination malpractice has done a lot of harm to students since many of them have neglected their books with the hope of performing the magic they are used to in every examination. Examination malpractice in Nigerian educational system has been widely discussed and viewed as a major challenge not only to examination bodies but to school administrators, the entire education system, the government and the society at large. Examination malpractice as defined by West African Examination Council (WAEC) (2003) is any irregular behaviour or act exhibited by candidates or anybody charged with the responsibility of conducting examination in or outside the examination hall, before, during or after such examination with the aim of taking undue advantage. Many of these irregularities or misconducts surround examination and it came to an alarming rate in the last three decades. The hues and cries about examination malpractice taking place at all levels of the Nigerian educational system is nothing but a reflection of the decay in the value system of the society. The Nigerian society is that which celebrates mediocrity and views cheating as being smart. The society does not want to know how an individual achieves success. The important thing is the success. In fact in Nigeria the end justifies the means instead of the means justifying the end. In actual fact examination malpractice is a variant of the wrongs and corruption in the society. The politicians employ rigging at elections and enjoy enviable political offices and so do students cheat from primary to tertiary institutions to move from one level of education to another. All sorts of misconducts take place in and around examination venues to take undue advantage of the process and achieve “success”. To make matter worse it is not only students that are involved, Business centres inside or around schools, parents, teachers, school heads, and examination officers all collude with students to perpetrate this misconduct. For Example, It is common during Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, to see up to 5000 persons in examination centre that has 500 candidates. The other persons who are not writing the examination come around to crowd the venue as aids to those writing the examination. The collusion between two or more of these agents makes it more difficult to combat. Even the penalties stipulated in Act 33 of 1999 constitution ranging from cancellation of results to 21 years jail- term has failed to achieve any significant shift from the cheating culture due to the effect of collusion (Ijaiya, 2004; Oduwaiye, 2014). The university system evaluates the achievement of students‟ learning by administering two major types of examinations. Each course is evaluated by continuous assessment test (C.A. Test) and semester examination. These two types of examination are not spared of malpractices or irregularities of one type or the other. It is the intention of this researcher to find out the remote causes of examination malpractices, the types or forms of malpractices and recommend measures aim at stopping or reducing the ugly trend. (Onyechere, 2004; Olanipekun, 2013 and Adewale 2014).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
 In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
 According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine the effect of examination malpractice on academic performance of senior secondary school student, using five (4) selected schools in Badagry Lga , Lagos state as a case study. Teachers of the selected schools form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of twenty (20) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only twenty (20) were returned and validated. For this study a total of 20 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
In this study, our focus was to examine the effect of examination malpractice on academic performance of senior secondary school student using selected schools in Badagry as a case study. The study specifically was aimed at highlighting the teacher’s influence on students’ cheating behavior. The study also review parents’ influence on students’ cheating behavior. Lastly, the study suggest possible solution to the influence of examination malpractice on student’s academic performance . The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 30 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are drawn from teachers of the selected schools.
CONCLUSION
Based on the finding of this study, the following conclusions were made:
- Technology-assisted Cheating Methods is one of the causes of examination malpractice.
- Laziness of students is another causes of examination malpractice.
- Peer pressure is also another causes of examination malpractice.
- structural arrangements in the examination rooms is one of the ways to prevent examination malpractice
- punishment of offenders is another of the ways to prevent examination malpractice
- Through proper and effective invigilation
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the responses obtained, the researcher proffers the following recommendations:
Pending the provision of adequate hall and seats for examinations, adequate number of invigilators should be assigned to examination room (the policy of a chief invigilator and at least one invigilator to every 40 students should be adhered to).
All activities relating to examinations such as question paper production, invigilation, marking and result collation as well as computation should be handled with a high sense of responsibility by those concerned.
For the many examination offenders now and the few that would still violate even after self-discipline has been enshrined in the long run, appropriate sanctions should be applied.
REFERENCES
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