STRATEGIES FOR ERADICATING
EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UDENU LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA OF OBOLO AFOR EDUCATION
ZONE OF ENUGU STATE
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of The Study
Education in its general
sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge skill, values, beliefs and
habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next
through storytelling, discussion, teaching, training or research.
According
to Ukeji (1979), Education is a process by which people are inculcated on the
culture into which they are born in order that they may advance it.
Okafor Festus (2000), sees
education as the process of acculturation through which the individual
potentialities and their maximum activation when necessary according to right
reason and to achieve thereby his perfect self fulfillment.
Some educationist defined
education as the process of transmitting what is worthily in politics,
religion, economics, culture, customs and mores to those committed to it.
From
the definitions from different educationists we can understand therefore that
education is a means of societal change through which the society transmits
their culture, customs, values, beliefs, mores and attitudes to its generation.
It can be seen as vehicles of change. As the society is not statue education is
a continuous process that goes from the cradle to the grave.
Education
can be acquired through formal, informal and non – formal education system.
Informal
Education: this is an education
gotten from family, society ad things around an individual.
Formal
Education: this is an organized means
of learning through schools or educational institutions of all types.
Non –
Formal Education: this is a means of
achieving education for all and for life, also education is commonly and
formally divided into stages such as preschool, primary schools, secondary
school and Colleges, University or apprentionship.
The
development of any nation hinges on her educational philosophy. Hence education
is described to be an instrumental par excellence in any national development.
The purpose of education therefore, is to enable a child to inculcate the right
type of values and attitudes for his survival in a competitive environment.
Education is to enhance the acquisition of appropriate knowledge and skills and
the development of mental, physical and social abilities and competences in the
learners so that they could loyally live and contribute to the development
of their nations and the world at large. In order to ensure
the attainment of Nigerian noble educational goals at all levels, a variety of
teaching programmes have been mounted for the advancement of learning through
the establishment of Schools, Colleges and other Educational Institutions
(Publicly and Privately Owned). This effort has always been complimented with proper
assessment in order to ensure
the maintenance of minimum educational
standards through appropriate agencies i.e Examination Bodies such as National
Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), National Examination
Council (NECO), West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Joint Admission and
Matriculations Board (JAMB) and other associated bodies. Experience had
revealed that the introduction of Universal Primary Education in 1973 in
Nigeria resulted into population explosion in school enrolment which in
turn makes the teachers to lose control over their wards while the educational
value system became devastated with the
large body of untrained and incompetent
teaching force handling the volatile classrooms as well as curriculum content
they do not know too well. The number of candidates writing public examinations
outstripped the number of places available for advancement. Resources that are
available have not increase in the same proportion to offset the cost and the
contending negative forces of examinations. The entire educations system became
ram-shackled.
The
oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary of current English new edition by A.S Horn
by (1999) defines examination as a formal test of somebody’s knowledge or
ability especially by means of written questions or practical exercises. In
educational context, examinations are ways of testing systematical to determine
the extent to which the student achieve instructional objectives. Examination is a system of educational
measurement designed to obtain information about those who are examined or a
process of assessing learning outcome (Obidoa, Onyechi & Okere, 2013).
Valid and reliable examination results have practical utility in education such
as certification after completing a course of study (Ogunboyede, 2006),
monitoring teaching and learning in schools (Blacks & William, 1998), diagnosing
learning difficulties and selection of prospective candidates for higher
training programme (Kolawole, 2014). Examination can take the form of written
exercises (created response items or selected response items), oral questions
or practical tasks, depending on the attributes being measured.
Over
the years, the most recognisable and traditional type of examination in Nigeria
has been pencil-and-paper test. This is synonymous to written exercises
requiring technical procedures to accomplish. These procedures include
test
conceptualisation, test construction, test tryouts, test revision, test
administration, test scoring and interpretation and reporting examinees’
response which take a great deal of time to process (Cohen, Swedlik &
Sturman, 2013). Sadly, the pencil-and-paper examination has been fraught with
numerous problems ranging from shortage of examination materials to
impersonation, cheating in examination halls, cases of missing scripts,
improper scoring of examinees’ responses, delay in computing and processing of
results, demand for gratification by the lecturers, delay in the issuance of
transcript of academic records and so forth (Abdulkareem & Alabi, 2004;
Ekere, 2009). The disturbing trend in examination fraud in Nigeria tends to
show that educational measurement is losing credibility, a serious threat to
quality educational standard. Fagbamiye (1998) remarked that examination is a
powerful educational tool for measuring and judging the standard of education
in any country and hardly can a country rise beyond the level of her
educational standard except such a country fashions out a dynamic educational
system matched with valid and reliable testing programme. In other words,
without valid and reliable examination and examination results, there can be no
national development either socially, economically, scientifically or
technologically. Consequently, there arises a question, if pencil-and-paper
examination fails to repose confidence in the test takers and test users, what
alternative mode would provide credibility and civility besides validity and
reliability?
From
the West Africa Examination Council point view, examination malpractice can be
defined as any irregular behaviour exhibited by candidate or anybody charged
with the conduct of examination in such examination such behaviour must be a
sort of contravention of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of
such examination.
However, in common usage especially in
contemporary Nigeria, examination malpractice refers to infringement of the prescribe
code of conduct and behaviour first by the candidate and then by the teachers,
invigilators, parents and markers as well.
Then
oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary of current English new edition by A.S Horn
by (1999) defines malpractice as wrongdoing, neglect of duty e.g. dishonest
help of a position of trust for personal gain.
In the Nigerian school system various forms of
examinations are noticed. These are the entrance examinations, the terminal and
promotion examinations, the senior school certificate examination and the
degree or diploma examinations. Students are required to pass any forms of
examinations they partake in. But these days students now find various means of
achieving success in these examinations and one of such ways is by cheating in
examinations through leakage in examination papers, impersonation, external
assistance, copying, smuggling of foreign materials, substitution of script and
improper assignment.
The fact remains that examination malpractice has become
usual practice in Nigeria. Examination has been recognized as forming the
nucleus of education without which the enterprise will be incomplete.
Empiricism shows that examinations indicate the extent of
factual knowledge acquired by students, predict future educational achievement
and provide a means of selecting suitable candidates for certain educational
courses or occupation.
One of the principal aim of examination is to assess how
much learning has taken place and to what extent the educational objectives and
goals have been achieved. One serious problem plaguing Nigeria system of
education today is large examination malpractice coupled with intellectual
dishonesty. Our pupils and students devise as a daily routine, new tricks to
beat genuine supervisors and examiners.
The
genesis of examination malpractice in Nigeria can be traced to 1914 when the
senior Cambridge examination leaked. There was leakage in the West African
Examination Council in 1963, Omotos (1988). The incidence of examination malpractice is
multi-dimensional in nature. Smuggling of prepared notes into examination hall.
They insult, embarrass, threaten and even assault invigilators and supervisors
who failed to co-operate with them in their unholy and nefarious acts.
Cheating behaviour exhibited by the school, population is
a big problem to our people. School administrators were recently called upon to
desist from helping their students to perpetrate in examination malpractice.
Individual however put the blame on lack of
proper social value system; the high premium attached to paper qualifications
as prerequisite for admission and gainful employment.
Educationally,
according to Thyen (1974:33) the purpose of examination are among others:
a. To ascertain whether a specified standard has been reached.
b. To select a given number of candidates
c. To test the efficiency of teaching and learning
d. To evaluate each candidates subsequent performance
e. To predict each candidates subsequent performance
In education context, sexamination are ways of
testing systematically to determine the extent to which students achieve
intuitional objectives. It becomes clear that when one’s knowledge or ability
is tested any act of wrongdoing shall be a negation of the aims and objectives for
which the examination were set up.
In
1970 there were regulates and malpractice in west African school certificates
examination. The 1981 leakage were however, the most wades pared, the worst in
the history, of West African Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria Omotoso etal
(1998).
There are different types of examination
malpractice which includes the followings:
@ Mass
cheating/co-operation: This involves: the students or learners, teachers,
invigilators and the principals.
@ Impersonation:
This is the method of paying someone else to write the exam or by contract.
@ Bribe:
This is giving money, sex, gift to encourage cheating.
@ Foreign
material: This is bringing of answer aids into the exam hall. It is commonly
called Expo, Bullet, Mgbo, chips Omokirikiri etc.
@ Leakage:
This system of getting the question before the exam
@ Clearance
fee: This is a levy imposed all the student by the school to settle the
invigilator so as to allow malpractice in the whole school.
@ Special
Centres: These are private expensive places where one can get certificates
without any effort
@ Threats
and assault: This is special way cult guys students and everyone.
@ Sign
and codes: These are secrete operation use to pass answers to the students.
@ Mass
promotion: promotion every students by up grading them because of money or
favour.
@ Sales
of handout: This is carried out in higher institution by lecturers at
exorbitant price and threatens students to buy or jail.
The
following people are involved in examination malpractices. They includes:
principals, invigilators, Teachers, Parents, Typist, friends, clergymen and
women and even the government.
The
consequences of examination malpractices are:
v It
results to indiscipline and laziness.
v It
creates wasted life, frustration and agony
v It
brings shame disgrace to one’s family and the country.
v It
brings fake and forgery of identity
v Reduces
the standard and value of a country.
v It
produces a lawless and disordered society.
The
Oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary of current English new edition by A.S
Hornby (1999) defines eradication as to destroy something completely, to put an
end to something.
Statement
of the Problem
The occurrence of examination malpractice at any level of
educational stratum possess the greatest threat to the validity and reliability
of any examination and consequently to the authenticity and recognition of
certificate issued. The numerous examination malpractice among students in
Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State over the years have become a growing
concern since cheating is such a longstanding and global problem inherent by
human beings. Effort should therefore be directed towards controlling cheating
behaviours and also finding the possible causes of the problem among students
in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Purpose
of the Study
This study will concentrate on examination malpractice,
their causes, and possible strategies to eradicate examination malpractice among secondary school students in Udenu Local
Government Area of Enugu State.
Significance
of the Study
The significance of this research cannot be
over emphasized; this is because examination malpractice has more harm than
good in our secondary school system and the society at large. For it has helped
in the production of half baked students, teachers and people parading with
certificate they cannot defend.
The importance of this research is to find out
a lasting solution to the problem of examination malpractice in our secondary
school here in Udenu L.G.A.
The implementation of this finding will not only expose
the extent to which students are involved in examination malpractice but will
also suggest some remedies or a lasting solutions to this academic dishonesty.
This study is also expected to help school
administrators, teachers and guidance counsellors to curb or control cheating
behaviour in schools.
Conclusively, examination malpractice should
be stopped in order to produce qualitative students in our educational system,
which will make it rich the zenith of academic excellent.
Scope/Limitation
of the Study
This study will concentrate on examination malpractice,
their causes, and possible strategies to eradicate examination malpractice in
Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Research Questions
The research questions for this study are stated below:
1.
Why do students
indulge in examination malpractice?
2.
Why do Paucity of educational facilities engenders
examination malpractice in Nigeria?
3.
Why do non-coverage of school syllabuses buttresses the
preponderance of examination malpractice?
4.
Why do poor study habits contribute to the problem of
examination malpractice in the Nigerian Education system?
5.
What roles have the school counsellors played so far in
trying to curb these behaviours?
Definition
Of basic concepts
In view of the fact that different meanings can be
assigned will apply to the following words as used in this research work.
Examination :
A test of capacity and knowledge. It is a determinants of a learner’s strength
and weakness necessary for his/her academic adjustment and work life.
Malpractice : It is a behaviour of a person contrary to laid down code of conduct.
Cheating :Cheating is refer to a type of examination malpractice, which takes place in the examination hall.
Guidance : This is an assistance given to an individual either by an adult or counsellor in order to help them discover themselves and cope with life situation.
Counselling : This is a relationship which exist between a counsellor and a counsellee in order to provide solution a problem encountered by the counsellee.
Counsellor : Is one who counsels, assists or help the students or an individual to solve academic and psychological problems.
Counsellee : Is one who seeks advice or help from the counsellor in solving his/her personal problems.
Malpractice : It is a behaviour of a person contrary to laid down code of conduct.
Cheating :Cheating is refer to a type of examination malpractice, which takes place in the examination hall.
Guidance : This is an assistance given to an individual either by an adult or counsellor in order to help them discover themselves and cope with life situation.
Counselling : This is a relationship which exist between a counsellor and a counsellee in order to provide solution a problem encountered by the counsellee.
Counsellor : Is one who counsels, assists or help the students or an individual to solve academic and psychological problems.
Counsellee : Is one who seeks advice or help from the counsellor in solving his/her personal problems.
STRATEGIES FOR ERADICATING EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UDENU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OBOLO AFOR EDUCATION ZONE OF ENUGU STATE