ABSTRACT
Examination malpractice is a common form of
deviant behavior among secondary school students. It is rated as one of the
greatest problems that undermine the foundations of educational development in
Nigeria. The prime objective of this paper therefore is to examine the
relationship between secondary school students study habits and their attitudes
toward examination malpractice. The study was conducted ex-post factor under a
descriptive survey research design. Stratified random sampling technique was
employed to select 300 students from secondary schools in the district II in
Lagos State Nigeria. Collected data on students attitude toward examination
malpractice and study habits were obtained using two research instruments
designed by the researcher. The instruments are Students’ Study Habit
Questionnaires (SSHQ) and Students’ Attitudes toward Examination Malpractices
Questionnaires (SATEMQ). They have reliability coefficients of 0.68 and 72
respectively. The three hypothesis formulated for the study were tested using
Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient and t-test statistics at .05
alpha level. Findings revealed that there was no significant relationship
between students study habit and their attitudes towards examination
malpractice. Male and Female students were significantly different in their
attitude towards examination malpractice while the two groups were not
significantly different in their habits. It was recommended that school
counselors should utilize guidance services and counseling techniques in
promoting effective study habits and in reducing cases of examination
malpractices in secondary schools.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Abstract v
Table of Content vi
List of Tables ix
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction 1
Background to the Study 1
Statement of Problem 9
Purpose of Study 10
Significance of the Study 10
Objectives of the Study 11
Research Question 11
Research Hypotheses 12
Limitation of the Study 12
Definition of Terms 13
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related
Literature
Empirical Review of
Literature 14
Concept of Examination
Malpractice 14
Concept of Study Habits 16
The Formation of Study
habits 18
The Concept of Attitude 19
Formation and
Manifestation of Attitude 21
Theoretical review of
Literature 22
Theories of Attitude
changes 22
Theories of Examination
Malpractice 24
Summary of Literature 49
CHAPTER THREE
Methodology 54
Research Design 54
Population of the Study 54
Samples 55
Sampling technique 55
Instrument of the Data
Analysis 55
Method of Data Analysis 56
Procedure of Data
Collection 56
Validity of Instrument 58
Reliability of Instrument
58
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Analysis and
Interpretation of Results 60-74
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
Summary 75
Discussion 76
Implication s 79
Conclusions 80
Recommendations 80
Suggestions for further
research 82
References 84
Appendix
LIST OF TABLES
Table I: Description of Sample’s Sex
Table II: Age Distribution of Respondents.
Table III: Educational Qualification of the Parents..
Table IV: Mother’s Qualification.
Table V: Are you living with your Parents?
Table VI: Religion of Respondents.
Table VII: Secondary School Students’ Study Habits”
Table VIII: Secondary School Students’ Attitudes Towards
Examination Malpractice.
Table IX: Relationship Between Students’ Study Habit
and Attitudes Towards Examination.
Table X: Difference in Male and Female Study
Habits.
Table XI: Difference in Male and Female Students’
Attitudes Towards Examination Malpractices.
Table XII: Relationship Between Students’ Study Habits
and Examination Malpractice.
Table XIII: Difference between Male and Female Student’s
Study Habits.
Table XIV: Difference between Male and Female Students;
Towards Examination Malpractice.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The two possible outcome
of an examination are success and failure. Failure is a very touchy issue which
sometimes produces conflicts between teachers and students, parents and
children, and sometimes between parents and teachers. This is so because
failure is usually accompanied by unpleasant consequences, hence students try
to avoid it by all means. In an attempt to avoid failure, students are known to
exhibit some forms of behaviour ranging from fake complaints of illness to
various forms of cheating which are commonly referred to as “examination
malpractice”.
One of the major problems
confronting secondary schools in Nigeria is examination malpractice. It is a
cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the society, and it has
become so rampant among students in Nigeria that many of them regard it as a
normal process of passing examination.
Examination malpractices
have been described as any act of dishonesty that occurs before, during and
after an examination or assessment which is intended to obtain or offer an
unfair advantage to a candidate or candidates in that examination or
assessment.
Incidence of cheating or
malpractices in examinations has reached epidemic proportion at all levels of
our education system. These unwholesome practices are considered to be inimical
to healthy academic development of our youth and there is an urgent need to
reduce them to the barest minimum if they cannot be totally eradicated.
At a symposium organized
by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in 1992 to mark its 40th
anniversary, it was observed that one of the major problems facing the council
is cheating during the public examinations which it conducts.
The penalists called for
the intensification of efforts to raise the level of public awareness of the
havoc done to the image of member countries, the loss of respect for honest
academic work as well as the drain on natural resources caused by such
dishonest.
The purpose of
examination malpractice especially at the secondary level of education is to
excel and gain access through dubious means, into tertiary institutions.
The student, the home and
even the school have a measure of contribution. This cankerworm has wrecked our
academic pride, proliferated grades in tests and removed originality of
knowledge, the issue of examination malpractice therefore deserves a measure of
academic discourse.
The first reported case
of examination malpractice in Nigeria occurred in 1914, when the Senior
Cambridge Local Syndicate Examination questions leaked. That was about 38 years
before the establishment of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
Subsequent reported cases were the leakage of WAEC questions.
The issue of examination
malpractice among students in our secondary schools calls for serious concern
and its negative effect on the society cannot be over-emphasized. It has been
rated as one of the greatest aspects of indiscipline that undermines the
foundation of educational practice in Nigeria today. The magnitude of this
social malaise has become a major source of concern not only to the government,
but also to teachers, parents and educationalists of all educational problems
in Nigeria, none poses a greater threat than the problem of examination fraud.
It has remained the most worrisome feature of our educational system. It is
regrettable rather than abating, it has assumed an epidemic dimension. The
tragic consequences of this social aberration are beginning to manifest.
The governments,
examination bodies, school authorities and concerned individuals in the Nigeria
society have consistently condemned the occurrence of examination malpractices
in Nigeria.
Since 1977, the trend of
examination malpractice has been on a steady increase. All examination bodies
in Nigeria, such as National Examination Council, West African Examination
Council, the Interim Joint Matriculation Board, (Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination) and all teacher made tests at all levels of examination have faced
one form of examination have faced one form of examination malpractice or the
other. In spite of different forms of punishment introduced to curb such
malpractices, it has defied such punishments.
The examination bodies
such as the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Joint Admission and
Matriculation Board (JAMB (UTME) have also been adopting various punitive
measures against candidates who engage in examination malpractices in their
examinations.
Some of these measures
include, cancelling of results, blacklisting of schools and candidates, e.t.c.
However, these punitive
measures seem to have had little impact in deterring candidates from engaging
in examination malpractices.
Examination malpractice
is not a recent occurrence in Nigeria. It is as old as examination itself and
it cuts across geographical boundaries.
Cases of examination
malpractice in West African School Certificate Examination were reported in
1963, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1981, 1987 and 1991.
The 1967 and 1977 cases
drew public outcry because of the large scale involvement of students in the
malpractice. As a result of people’s reactions, judicial tribunals were set up
by the Federal Government of Nigeria to investigate the causes of examination
malpractices and proffer remedies.
Due to rampant cases of
indiscipline in Nigeria, the Federal Military Government promulgated a decree
covering miscellaneous offences, including examination malpractice, with stiff
penalties. For instance, a punishment of twenty-one years of imprisonment was
attached to examination malpractice.
This act could be convert
or overt, employed by an individual in order to pass an examination.
This may not only be the
fault of the student alone because the act may be a reflection of the
corruption in the adult society. It may further be a reflection of laziness,
lack of self-reliance and dishonesty on the part of the student involved. The
West African Examination Council (WAEC) (1992) grouped examination malpractice into
seven. These are possession of foreign or unauthorized materials in examination
halls, irregular activities inside or outside the examination hall, collusion,
impersonation, insult or assault on supervisors or invigilators, mass cheating
and other special cases. A special article published by the West African
Examination Council (2005) where questions and answers on examination were
discussed. The twelfth question is: WHAT IS EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE? Apart from
other references made to the West African Examination Council Syllabus, types
of examination malpractices are listed as follows:
Candidates bringing books
or cribs into the examination hall; insulting or assaulting any supervisor or
invigilator; replacing their answer scripts with another one during or after
the examination; swooping of scripts in an examination hall; impersonation.
Taking part in mass or
organized cheating in the examination hall or around its environ. The ANCOPSS
journal volume 5, (1998) further contribute that one of the oldest and
commonest method as listed above is the entry into the examination hall with
cribs (microchips), having answers written on a piece of paper squeezed and
thrown to a colleague, writing on handkerchief/tights, there is also the
strengthen of the neck like the giraffe to look at the neighbours work
knowingly or unknowingly to the neighbours, influencing the grades with the
assistance of a friendly lecturer, copying answers from another student’s
papers, sitting arrangement where the bright students is seated in the centre
flanked by other members of the groups, having access to live-questions before
examination time, and in the Eastern part of Nigeria, the use of hooligans,
gaining entry into examination halls by force as examinations are in progress
to remove question paper, then escape from the hall and later on throw in
answered-pieces (of papers) to their candidates for them to copy.
Despite this effort, the
level of students’ involvement in examination malpractices has continued to
increase. For example, the percentage of those involved in examination
malpractices in West African School Certificate Examination grew from less than
1% in 1985 to about 14% of total number of candidates in 1994. Shonekan (1996)
observed that between 1992 and 1995, out of 2,818,679 candidates who sat for
May June and November/December School Certificate Examinations conduced by
WAEC, 350,902 were involved in examination malpractice.
In 2003, the Joint
Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar caught many JAMB candidates in examination malpractice in
Lagos. In the same year out of the 1,099,241 candidates who sat for JAMB
examinations, the results of 116,990 (11.5%) were withheld due to one
malpractice or the other (Oriola, 2003).
Students, teachers and
other stakeholders are also involved in examination malpractice. Tar (1995)
reported that 13 teaching staff of Akwa Ibom State Teaching Service Commission
were retired for their involvement in examination malpractice. Hassan (1987)
noted that some supervisors and invigilators who are supposed to monitor the
activities of students also aid students in examination malpractice after being
“settled”. Denga (1998) reported that secondary school candidates employ their
colleagues in higher institutions to assist them in their examinations. It is
also noted that some remedial/tutorial educational centres (popularly known as
special centres) purchase live questions in General Certificate Examination
(GCE) or JAMB examinations for their candidates in order to maximize their profits.
It is also known that mercenaries besiege examination centres to assist
candidates in their examinations.
It is therefore
imperative for researchers in education to examine factors that could
contribute to proactive actions against examination malpractice other than the
present punitive measures. The present research has taken up this challenge. It
investigated study habit as a predictor of student’s examination behaviour with
a view to establishing a foundation for proactive actions against examination
malpractices in Lagos State Secondary Schools. It focused on the relationship
between study habit and examination behaviour.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The derogative falling of
our educational standard is becoming uncontrollable; the pollution of our education
by both stakeholders and students is now pointing towards the wrong direction.
Our depending on external technology results from our inability to purge out
this menace. Nigerian’s known with our emphasis on certificate orientation
(i.e. presentation of certificate for job or employment) is gradually killing
our technology development. The certificate qualification orientation
unknowingly embedded in us (Our Nation), leads to many acquiring “same”
(certificate) by all means positively or negatively. All forms of misconduct
and malpractices had and are still been introduced to achieve this eccentric
menace (certificate). Our mind, which is part of that, that control our
thought, and action are channel toward the easiest way out of achieving this eccentric
‘goods’. The development of our intellectual capacity are derail due to the
fact that stakeholders are primarily focusing on the end result of our
education (certificate).
The growing menace of
examination malpractice in our secondary school is becoming worrisome and
disturbing phenomenon day after day. The problem is not peculiar to a
particular level of education rather pervaded all educational facets in
Nigerian primary, secondary, tertiary or professional institutions of learning.
Of all educational problems in Nigeria, none posses a great threat than the
issue of examination malpractice in schools. Thus this study was designed to
investigate the relationship between study habits and attitudes of secondary
school students toward examination malpractice in Lagos State and to make
recommendations that would assist counsellors so that the learning institutions
and the public at large may not be saddle with the problem of half or ill-baked
educated graduates both at the post-secondary and tertiary institutions of
learning.
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this study
is to investigate the problem of how to effect improvement in the students’
performance through effective study habits and reduce cases of examination
malpractices in secondary schools so that the learning institutions and the
public at large will not be saddled with the problem of half or ill-baked
graduates.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is important
at this 21st century period of our educational development where
many have become concerned with the quality and standard of education.
Significant to parents,
school proprietors and government as the result will educate them on the need
to help students who are very successful in their desired career to have good
study habits.
The student’s attitudes
towards malpractice in examination is not hereditary but learnt, not only from
colleagues (peer) but also from significant adults like parents and teachers.
Because attitudes are learnt, they can be changed through persuasive talks and
attitude changing devices mounted by counsellors and other adults.
The results of the study
should be highly informative and significant to school. Psychologists, guidance
counsellors, teachers, parents and all those concerned with what can be done to
improve students studying pattern especially their attitude toward cheating
during examination.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of
this study therefore is to examine the relationship between students study
habits and their attitudes towards examination malpractice. The study is
expected to enrich the available literature on the variables being studied as
well as provide useful guides on effective study habits and ways of curbing examination
malpractice in Secondary Schools in Lagos State.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following five main
research questions would be raised for the purpose of the study.
1. What are the study habits of secondary school students in
Lagos State?
2. What is the attitude of secondary school students towards
examination malpractice?
3. Is there any relationship between students study habit and
their attitudes toward examination malpractice?
4. Do male and female students differ in their study habits?
5. Do male and female students differ in their attitude towards
examination malpractice?
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
1. There is no significant relationship between students’ study
habit and their attitudes toward examination malpractice.
2. There is no significant difference between male and female
students study habits.
3. There is no significant difference between male and female
students’ attitudes towards examination malpractice.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
One of the limitations of
this research study is the few samples which would be used to represent the
population of the students in the study area. This would make the
generalizations of the findings to be too narrow.
Another limitations of
this finding is that, the respondents might not be easily accessible and not
cooperative. It might take a long time before the questionnaires would be
collected and collated for the study. Also, the study may be limited due to
financial, time and logistic constraints.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
For clarity of
understanding, the following terms need to be defined.
CANKERWORM: Refers to an evil influence that spreads quickly among
people and is difficult to destroy.
CONVERT/OVERT: Actions done publicly, without trying to hide
anything.
IMPERSONATION: To pretend to be someone else by copying their
appearance, voice and behaviour, especially in order to deceive people.
MALPRACTICE: Illegal action by which a person seeks a
benefit for himself while in a position of trust.
MENACE: A threatening quality, feeling or way of
behaving.
MISCONDUCT: Formal bad or dishonest behaviour by someone in a
position of authority or trust.
STUDY HABITS: Refers to the ways of studying on a particular subject.
SWOOPING: A sudden surprise attack
on a place in order to get something or take people away.
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