Students’ Attitude towards Examination Dishonesty and Its Effects on Academic Performance

Students’ Attitude towards Examination Dishonesty and Its Effects on Academic Performance

ABSTRACT

This descriptive study aimed to investigate the “Attitude of Students towards Examination Dishonesty and its Effects on Academic Performance in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.”

To guide the study, three objectives were set viz: To examine the factors that influences the attitude of students towards examination Dishonesty, to identify the effects of examination Dishonesty on academic performance of students, and to proffer possible solutions to curb the menace of examination Dishonesty.

Research questions were also formulated and related literatures were reviewed based on the set objectives. The sample size of 100 respondents was selected using simple random sampling technique.

The main instrument for data collection was questionnaire. Data collected were analysed using simple percentages and were presented in frequency tables. Findings revealed various factors influencing examination Dishonesty, it revealed the effects of examination Dishonesty among students, and also revealed the measures that should be adopted to curb the menace of examination Dishonesty.

Based on these findings, conclusion was drawn and recommendations were made among others, that Government should provide adequate and conducive learning environment for students, and that sound educational policy should be made to curb the menace of examination Dishonesty.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background to the Study

According to Aaron (2012), “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, (2011) 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.

Examination is therefore indeed pivotal as an indicator of the success or failure of higher education and still remains the best tool for an objective assessment and evaluation of what learners have achieved after a period of attending tutorial sessions, writing of assignments and other scholarly work.

Examination is an integral part of the Nigerian educational system as far as the school is concerned. 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 Dishonesty), 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. The staffs behaviour in any examination should conform to the code of conduct specified by the examination body, through this, only the most capable candidates are selected to enter into the school system. All rules and regulations must be adhered to by students and teachers.

Examination Dishonesty can be defined as a deliberate act of wrong doing, contrary to official rules, and is designed to place a candidate at an unfair advantage or disadvantage; it is a careless, illegal or unacceptable behaviour by a candidate in a formal test of his knowledge or ability in a particular subject.

It could also be said to be an act of omission or commission which compromises the validity and integrity of any examination (Okwu, 2014). Examination Dishonesty is counter-practice that is against ethics of examination, it is an act of disrespect to all rules and regulations guiding the good conduct of any examination or any evaluation process.

Examination Dishonesty 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 Dishonesty 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.

Such examination Dishonesty 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. It has been widely reported that parents aid and abet examination Dishonesty directly or indirectly because they even go to the extent of bribing their way through to ensure that their wards get unearned grades.

Some staffs on their part encourage examination Dishonesty because they lack the zeal to work and at the end would want to be praised for a job, which was never done thus graduating students who do not actually possess the abilities for which they were examined (Ojikutu, 2010). This trend in examination Dishonesty is inimical to academic development and advancement and needs to be drastically addressed.

Students’ Attitude towards Examination Dishonesty and Its Effects on Academic Performance

1.2    Statement of the Problem

The persistent occurrence of examination dishonesty has been a major concern to educationists. Despite the high premium placed on examinations by the National Policy on Education, it seems that examination Dishonesty 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 staffs towards examination Dishonesty differs from individual to a large extent from society. However, the problem of examination Dishonesty 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 dishonesty.

1.3    Broad Objective

The broad objective of this study is to examine the attitude of students towards examination Dishonesty and its effects on academic performance in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.

1.4    Specific Objectives

The specific objectives this study is as follows:

• To examine the factors that influences the attitude of students towards examination Dishonesty in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.
• To identify the effects of examination Dishonesty on academic performance of students in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.
• To proffer possible solutions to curb the menace of examination Dishonesty in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.

1.5    Research Questions 

The research questions of are as follows:

1. What are the factors that influence the attitude of students towards examination Dishonesty in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.
2. What are the effects of examination Dishonesty on academic performance of students in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.
3. What are the possible solutions to the menace of examination Dishonesty in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.

1.6    Significance of the Study

1. The study will beam more light on the problem of examination Dishonesty in tertiary institutions.
2. It will help to enlighten education administrators on the principles of solving the problems of examination Dishonesty in schools.
3. The research work will provide opportunity for better appreciation of educational certificate in the country.
4. It will help in solving the problem of brain drain in the country.
5. 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 Dishonesty has eaten deep into the fabric of education in the country. This study will concentrate on the effects of examination Dishonesty, their causes, and possible solutions in Northern Annang Secondary Commercial School, Utu Etim Ekpo, Etim Ekpo L.G.A., Akwa Ibom State.