ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS TOWARDS EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AND ITS EFFECTS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS TOWARDS EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AND ITS EFFECTS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
According to Aaron (2022), “examination is a formal test of a student’s knowledge, skills or ability in a particular course especially by means of oral or written questions or practical exercises”. Abba, (2021) defines examination as a means of testing students’ knowledge and competence. Higher Education institutions in Nigeria consider examinations in determining whether or not a student can proceed to the following semester or year or qualify to graduate.
ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS TOWARDS EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AND ITS EFFECTS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Examination is an integral part of the Nigerian educational system as far as the school is concerned. In fact, examination plays a major role and is also a main indicator of the quality of education; examination is an assessment technique which presents the individual with a sense of questions or tasks geared towards measuring acquired skills and knowledge (Okwu, 2014).
Many Nigerians seems to possess certificate from various institutions of higher learning in the country through fraudulent means (examination malpractice), it is because of the disproportionate emphasis on certificate to almost total neglect of learning that there are examination leakages, forgery and admission rackets. This act involves not only the students, but the staff also.
Examination malpractice is an act of illegal or unethical behaviour by somebody in the process of testing an examinee’s ability or knowledge by means of question (Jega, 2012). Okwu (2014) remarked that examination malpractice is any irregular behavior exhibited by a candidate or anybody charged with the conduct of examination before, during or after the examination which contravenes the rules and regulations governing the conduct of such examination.
Thus, such examination malpractice will include any of the following: examination leakage, impersonation, cheating, collusion, swapping of scripts, smuggling of answer scripts in examination halls, mass/organized cheating involving assistance from the staffs and outsiders, result/certificate forgery, verbal/physical assault on examination administrators (Aaron, 2012).
In Nigeria the last two decades have witnessed an alarming rate of crisis of examination misconduct especially in the Secondary and tertiary institutions.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The persistent occurrence of examination malpractices has been a major concern to educationists. Despite the high premium placed on examinations by the National Policy on Education, it seems that examination malpractices have not been properly addressed in Nigeria.
Common observations have shown that there is mass cheating in public examinations at various States. Nothing concrete has been done to reduce the problem except the cancellation of results for a particular centre or the withholding of results in certain subjects. The attitude of students towards examination malpractice and its effects on academic performance.
The attitude of staffs towards examination malpractices differs from individual to a large extent from society. However, the problem of examination malpractices has eroded the seriousness of students in studying and learning. It has deprived students from learning instead, they prefer going to examination hall with micro-chips, key points, electronic phones, even textbooks to make things easy in the examination hall. Thus, the resultant effect of this illicit act is the production of half-baked graduates and invariably leading to inefficiency.
Therefore, this project sought to assess the attitude of students towards examination malpractices.
1.3 Broad Objective
The broad objective of this study is to examine the attitude of students towards examination malpractice and its effects on academic performance.
1.4 Specific Objectives
The specific objectives this study is as follows:
- To examine the factors that influences the attitude of students towards examination malpractice.
- To identify the effects of examination malpractice on academic performance of students.
- To proffer possible solutions to curb the menace of examination malpractice.
1.5 Research Questions
The research questions of are as follows:
- What are the factors that influence the attitude of students towards examination malpractice.
- What are the effects of examination malpractice on academic performance of students.
- What are the possible solutions to the menace of examination malpractice.
1.6 Significance of the Study
- The study will beam more light on the problem of examination malpractices in tertiary institutions.
- It will help to enlighten education administrators on the principles of solving the problems of examination malpractices in schools. The attitude of students towards examination malpractice and its effects on academic performance.
- The research work will provide opportunity for better appreciation of educational certificate in the country.
- It will help in solving the problem of brain drain in the country.
- It will help the students of Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School to put the right attitude towards learning and in examinations.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The canker worm of examination malpractices has eaten deep into the fabric of education in the country. This study will concentrate on the effects of examination malpractice, their causes, and possible solutions.
Conclusion
Examination malpractice remains the cankerworm in the Nigerian education system and all penalties put in place to stop it remains almost ineffective if not totally ineffective. It is caused by several agents such as students, staff, parents, examination bodies, internet and other agents by means of different techniques that grow by the day. This results to gradual loss of confidence in Nigerian certificates.
The consequences could be catastrophic to both education system and the society as it would turn out the society certificated illiterates. The study identified different forms of examination malpractices including but not limited to; impersonation, disorderliness, cheating, giraffing, conspiracy and aiding, forging of results, machinery, microchips, smuggling of question papers out of examination venues, smuggling answer scripts into examination venues, sorting and rewriting.
The study also traced the factors that influence the attitude of students toward examination malpractice to, and blamed students as not being adequately prepared for examination, other stakeholders in the educational system as tolerating and supporting it and the society at large for being responsible for the continuous rise in examination malpractice.
In this study, several innovative strategies that can be used to curb examination malpractice of any source have been outlined. It then behooves on all of us to apply these strategies in order to minimize the dangers of examination malpractice.
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