RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDY HABITS AND ATTITUDES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TOWARD EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
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RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN STUDY HABITS AND ATTITUDES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TOWARD
EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
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.
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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