CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
Examination malpractice has become a
normal occurrence among students world over, but more worrisome in Nigeria.
Though there have been endless discussions on whether examination exercise
should be expunged from school activity but there has not been any other substitute
to assess the effectiveness of teaching and learning of both teachers and students
respectively. Therefore, examination still remains one strong way of assessing academic
activities in schools. Examination, as it were remains one of the Herculean
tasks that is insurmountable for students generally irrespective of their
level, sex, status or age. At the mention of examination, students begin to
agitate, worry, pant, and express other general disposition of anxiety. Aside
these common feelings toward examination especially in Nigeria, Ugo &
Odimba (2010) submitted that there is over-reliance on results of examinations
to secure higher education or to get jobs by the students; and there is high
level of moral decadence in the society. Consequent upon these, students resort
to various corrupt practices to achieve ‘successes’ in examinations.
Ugo & Odimba (2010) described examination
malpractice as any action done or omitted which makes it impossible to use an
examination in determining the level of competence of a candidate in absorbing,
reproducing, and where appropriate, applying knowledge. In effect, examination
malpractice is any negative deviation or departure from the recommended and
accepted norms in the conduct of examination. It is reported that students have
devised several ways of practicing examination malpractice, among which are:
impersonation; bringing in foreign materials (books, calculator); substituting
worked scripts; stealing, converting, misappropriating scripts; collusion in
the examination hall (copying); mass/organized cheating involving assistance from
teachers and outsiders; and insult/assault on supervisors/ invigilators (Alutu
& Aluede, 2010). In describing how institutionalized and fraternal examination
malpractice has become in Nigeria, Ijaiya (2002) stated that the examination malpractice
practitioners employ the services of adult agents/collaborators inform of the teachers,
examination agents (in form of examiners in the case of external examinations),
touts/mercenaries, as well as the parents to perform the act.
The common belief on certificates as
the only yardstick to measure ones qualification has led many Nigerians into
buying educational certificates to prove their academic worth. Examination
malpractice in Nigeria is as old as the country herself. According to (Anzene,
2014), examination malpractice was first reported in Nigeria in the year 1914,
when the question papers of the Senior Cambridge Local Examinations were
reportedly seen by candidates before the scheduled date of the examination. The
Examination Malpractice Act (1999) explains examination malpractice as any act
of omission or commission by a person who in anticipation of, before, during or
after any examination fraudulently secure any unfair advantage for himself or
any other person in such a manner that contravenes the rules and regulations to
the extent of undermining the validity, reliability, authenticity of the
examination and ultimately the integrity of the certificates issued. Again,
examination malpractice is commonly defined as a deliberate wrong doing
contrary to official examination rules designed to place a candidate at an
unfair advantage or disadvantage, (Akaranga & Ongong, 2013). Jimoh (2009)
remarked that examination malpractice is any irregular behaviour exhibited by a
candidate or anybody charged with the conduct of examination before, during or
after the examination that contravenes the rules and regulations governing such
examination. Onuka & Durowoju (2013) defined examination malpractice as any
dishonest or unauthorized action or deed committed by a student on his own or
in collaboration with others like fellow students, guardians, parents,
teachers, head teacher, examination officials, supervisors, invigilators, security
officers and anybody or group of people before, during or after examination in
order to obtain undeserved marks or grades.
From all the definitions, it is clear
that examination malpractice tends to confer undue advantage or undeserved
grade to the perpetrators of the act. Again, it may be committed by not only
the candidates but also by other bodies charged with the responsibilities of
examination management. Undoubtedly, examination malpractice has been a social
problem for decades, but the rate and manner it is perpetrated nowadays calls
for serious concern. The rate of this crime has become so widespread that there
is virtually no examination anywhere at all levels and outside the formal
school system that there is no one form of illegal practice or another, (Nnam
& Inah, 2015; Ojonemi et al., 2013). Examination malpractices are common
everywhere and every examination season witnesses the emergence of new and
ingenious ways of cheating, (Nnam &Inah, 2015; Anzene, 2014; Ojonemi et
al., 2013; Jimoh, 2009). This study is however examining the causes and the
effects of examination malpractices among SS3 students of secondary schools.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The issue of examination malpractices
has become a major problem that many researchers has carries out studies on its
causes and effect on students in different part of the world though none of the
researches was conducted in Kano State. In the bid to curb this ugly menace of
examination malpractice, Federal government of Nigeria enacted Act. 33 of 1999
constitution. This act spelt out the various forms of examination malpractice
and the penalties that are attached, which range from a fine of N100, 000 to
imprisonment of 3 to 4 years. In the same vein, the state and local governments
and non-governmental organizations have mounted series of workshops, seminars,
campaigns and talks on the pernicious effects of examination malpractice on the
students, educational sector and on the image of the nation at international
level. In the same line, several academics have written and attended scholarly
conferences to proffer solutions to the problem of examination malpractice; and
all these efforts have yielded a little improvement on the challenge to have
clean and fair examinations in the country. To further lend a helping hand to
surmount this problem is the examination of its causes and effect as a way of
identifying the solution; hence this study.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the objectives of
this study:
1.
To examine the causes
of examination malpractice among the SS3 students of secondary schools in oyemekun
grammar school in ondo state akure.
2.
To examine the effects of examination
malpractice among the SS3 students of secondary schools in oyemekun grammar
school in ondo state akure.
3.
To identify the
solutions to the issues of examination malpractice among the SS3 students of
secondary schools in oyemekun grammar school in ondo state akure.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.
What are the causes
of examination malpractice among the SS3 students of secondary schools in oyemekun grammar school in ondo state akure?
2.
What are the effects
of examination malpractice among the SS3 students of secondary schools in oyemekun grammar school in ondo state akure?
3.
What are the
solutions to the issues of examination malpractice among the SS3 students of
secondary schools in oyemekun grammar
school in ondo state akure?
1.5
STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
H0: examination
malpractices has no significant effect on the academic performance of secondary
school students in Oyemekun grammar school in Ondo State Akure
H1: examination
malpractices has significant effect on the academic performance of secondary
school students in Oyemekun grammar school in Ondo State
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The following are the significance of
this study:
1.
The outcome of this
study will be useful to education administrators, teachers and students on the
causes, effect and solution to the menace of examination malpractices among
secondary school students in Nigeria.
2.
Findings from this study
will be useful for future researches has it will constitute part of the
empirical literature making it a guide for future researchers.
1.7 SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study is limited to SS3 students
of selected secondary school in Oyemekun grammar school in Ondo State Akure. It
will also cover the causes and effects of examination malpractices among them.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Exam: a formal test of a person''s
knowledge or proficiency in a particular subject or skill
Malpractices: Improper, illegal, or
negligent professional activity