1.1 Introduction
Examination malpractice is an unlawful behavior or activity engaged in by students to have personal advantage in an examination over their colleagues or mates who are taking the same examination. Malpractice could be committed before, during or after the examination by either the students taking the examination or by officials assigned with the administration of the examination (Olushola, 2006). From the psychological point of view saw examination malpractice as all forms of cheating which directly or indirectly falsify the ability of the students. It refers to counter practice that is against the ethics of examination. It is also an act of disrespect to all rules and regulations guiding the good conduct of any examination or any evaluation process (Dike, 2005).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Examination malpractice is any activity of a student or group of students whose purpose is to give any of them higher grades than they would likely receive on the basis of their own achievements. Teachers at different stages use examination to assess and evaluate the academic achievement of students in the school system. In all teaching and learning situations therefore, it is essential to find out from time to time how much the students are achieving from what they are being taught. In order to do this effectively, Teachers Examination Council, National Teachers Institute (NTI), Classroom Teachers etc. assess the students by administering weekly, termly, end of year test and or final examinations.
In the real fact examination is usually employed to mark either pass or fail is constantly applied to a collection of students. It collaborate the view of Stephen where he declares that history as to back up the view setting children against one another in trials and competition has always been a respectable means of inciting them to deal because examination is used to measure the academic performance of every students. With this mind, they have always strived to pass. In the same vein, it also encourages a kind of competition within a collection of students who will aim at the attainable highest mark in classes.
One of the major problems facing Nigerian education especially in Okpe Local Government Area today is search for accurate ways to learning. Education is taken to crises which very few of us seem to realize in Nigeria today. Cheating is now rampant at public examinations. These menace assumed a large and frightening dimension that has created hopes for early solution. Investigation recently by pass collective 1996 suggested that examination malpractices are no longer the hand work of the candidate alone but illegal operation involving communities, school authorities investigators, printers, storekeepers etc. The cankerworm of examination malpractice has been rampant in Benue state in general and Okpe in particular.
Consequently, all those situations have been put together to exert influence on the child’s attitude which have always had a way of bringing about negative desire or success in any given examination with or without adequate and necessary preparations. However, it is good to note that examination goes beyond the four walls of the school system. Examination still more, could be used as a medium for issuing licensed. A paragonised paragon by the view of Stephen is driving test and here he declared “no one so far wishes to put a limit to computing against each other in a series of proficiency test designed to unlock out all but a small earlier determined quantity of top grade performance. The authority has every desire to ensure that those who handle cars are capable of doing so with at least a minimum of efficiency.
This has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigeria society. Because of these students are not ready to learn or concentrate on their studies and legitimately take their final year examination, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or ‘National Examinations Council (NECO)’, these students who want to cheat in these types of examination hall illegal materials or wait to be copied on the chalkboard by their hired hands or teachers. However, various campaigns against the menace are being carried out including workshop by the government agents and with this it is expected that the evil of examination malpractice will be and completely be eradicated in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that the menace of examination malpractice has done in a calculable average not only to our educational system but also to our national economic life and social life of the country. Examination malpractice brings general indiscipline in schools, mass displacement of talents and Wastage of our national resources.
Examination malpractice makes the objectives of examination as a measure of classification by competences, skills job placement and diagnosis of academic failure useless. It has become an idea from the background of this work that examination plays a very useful role in our education and society at large. It is a very rare phenomenon to see where honest examinations are conducted.
However, as early as 70s examination malpractices have been reported in our education cycle. Malpractice has been a nationwide scourge and of which Delta State is also inclusive. For this reason is made to investigate the extent it has gone in the area of the study have and why it happens mainly in secondary schools in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Causes of Examination Malpractice among Secondary School Students. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To suggest some solutions to arresting this situation or recommends measures of minimizing the causes;
- To assess the effect of examination malpractice in secondary schools in Okpe Local Government Area; and
- To investigate the causes of examination malpractice in secondary institutions in Delta state and Okpe Local Government Area in particular.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Do students in secondary school involve in examination malpractice?
- Is there any cause of examination malpractice in secondary school in Okpe local government area?
- Is there any difference in examination malpractice and those that are not involved?
- Why is that poor taught students are most certainly to breach the integrity of the conduct of examination?
- Why does the relationship between the drive for success and breaching examination rules and regulations occur?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: Examination malpractice does not have an effect on secondary school students in Nigeria
- H1: Examination malpractice has an effect on secondary school students in Nigeria
Hypothesis Two
- H0: There is no connection between students, cheating in an examination and accomplishes using it as an avenue to making more money.
- H1: There is a connection between students, cheating in an examination and accomplishes using it as an avenue to making more money.
1.7 Significance of Study
This research topic has been chosen by the researcher to find out at which extent examination malpractice affect the educational career of the students in Okpe local government area and the national standard.
This research will provide some useful principles for the government, organizations, private bodies, institutions, teachers and candidates to eliminate or minimize the depressing standard of education in Okpe local government area and Nigeria at large.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Causes of Examination Malpractice among Secondary School Students Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Examination: The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines of Current English defines it’s related to education as an assessment tool to determine the level of learning of student or pupils.
Malpractice: The Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary defines malpractice as careless, wrong or illegal behavior while in a professional job.
Secondary School Students: These are the formal school learners receiving education after primary school and before tertiary or university stage.
