Examination Dishonesty and Academic Achievement of Students in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools

Examination Dishonesty and Academic Achievement of Students in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools 

Abstract

The study examined examination dishonesty and academic achievement of students in social studies in junior secondary schools in Ukanafun Local Government Area. Three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted. Simple random sampling technique was used to select one hundred (100) respondents (students) from the population of three thousand four hundred and twenty-five (3,425).

A structured questionnaire captioned “Examination dishonesty and academic achievement of students questionnaire” was used as an instrument for data collection. The data collected from the respondents were subjected to statistical analysis using pearson product moment correlation (PPMC).

The result of the findings revealed that students’ poor attitude to studies, inadequate preparation and poor supervision contributed significantly to students’ involvement in examination dishonesty which in turn affect their academic achievement negatively in social studies in junior secondary schools in Ukanafun Local Government Area.

Based on the outcome of the statistical analysis, the null hypotheses were rejected in favour of the alternatives at 98 degree of freedom and .05 probability level. It was therefore recommended among others that students should prepare adequately before examination as early preparation prevent poor performance and involvement in examination dishonesty.

Examination Dishonesty and Academic Achievement of Students in Social Studies in Junior Secondary Schools

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

In Nigeria, education is seen as the key that unlocks the door to modernization. For these and other reasons, it has become important for the authorities concerned to enforce such activities that will promote the quality of education obtained in our society so as to avoid the situation or producing educated illiterates. However, every educational system in this country needs to be properly evaluated in order to achieve its intended goal that means examination is necessary in every institutions of learning.

According to Alayinka (2000), examination serves not only as a tool for providing accountability of educational outcomes and as a basis for successive improvement of education programmes, but also for career guidance and selection into courses and for maintenance of publicly recognized standards. Despite these dividends of examination objectives, examination dishonesty has so penetrated the Nigerian educational system in this century to the extent that it is a common practice in all levels of education.

  Effort to eradicate or eliminate this experience in our educational system have proved abortive, it has become a social discomfort which is of great concern to a greater number of people. Most disheartening is the fact that not only a great majority of our students are involved in this condemnable act, some of our educational administrators, teachers, security agents and the general public who are supposed to be the pivot of good conduct are involved in the same offence.

However, according to Ukpong (2003) pointed out that examination dishonesty is one of the devastating and conspicuous forms of indiscipline in Nigeria. It is a social menace which has eaten deep into our educational system such that feeble minded persons now see it as an acceptable and recognizable means of passing examinations which they seek to encourage. This condemnable act has increased both in magnitude and complexity over the years, and has undermined the integrity of our certificates and quality of education.

Equally, Ukpong (2003) maintained that examination dishonesty has a serious damaging effect on the present Nigeria education system that it exists from a simple to a more sophisticated form. Adeyegbe (2004) observed that, the method used by culprits are now becoming sophisticated and that as the examination bodies are busy improving their operations, these culprits are also busy planning on how to improve their efforts.

furthermore The situation has become so bad that our national and local media is complaining about its effect on students. It has therefore become necessary to investigate examination dishonesty as it affects students’ achievement in social studies in junior secondary schools.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

The persistent involvement of students in examination dishonesty in schools has been a source of worry to educators and stakeholders in the teaching profession over the years.

Accordingly, researchers have investigated the factors responsible for the involvement of students in these condemnable acts. Among the factors identified are: students’ poor attitude to studies, financial position of the parents, ill preparation of students for examination by teachers, poor and inadequate facilities, shortage of qualified and dedicated teachers in core subject areas, extracurricular activities and teaching method adopted by teachers (Ekong, 2008).

To ameliorate this problem, government, some educational agencies and organizations have made concerted effort to reduce or eradicate it completely. This has been in the areas of organization of seminars and workshops, expulsion of students and suspension of teachers involved.

All these efforts notwithstanding, students’ involvement in examination dishonesty is still in the increase. It is against this backdrop that this research paper investigates examination dishonesty and students’ achievement in social studies in junior secondary schools.

1.3   Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study was to examine examination dishonesty and students’ achievement in social studies in junior secondary schools in Ukanafun Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to :

1. Examine poor attitude to studies and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty.
2. Examine lack of adequate preparation and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty.
3. Determine the level of supervision and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty

1.4   Significance of the Study

This study will be significant to teachers, students, supervisors, educational administrators, researchers etc in the following ways:

1. To the teachers, the study will enable teachers to prepare the students adequately for examination purposes instead of depending on measures for cheating or sorting.
2. To the students, it will encourage the students to develop good reading culture that will enhance their academic achievement rather than examination malpractice which is often disappointing.
3. To the supervisors, the study will expose the nature and methods of examination dishonesty that are prevalent in our school system.
4. To the educational administrators, it will help them to curb or control cheating behaviours in schools.
5. To the researchers, the study will serve as a reference material for further researchers regarding examination dishonesty.

1.5   Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

1. To what extent does poor attitude to studies affect students’ involvement in examination dishonesty?
2. How does lack of adequate preparation affects students’ involvement in examination dishonesty?
3. Does the level of supervision affect students’ involvement in examination dishonesty?

1.6   Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were formulated in line with the purpose of the study to guide the study:

1. There is no significant relationship between poor attitude to studies and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty.
2. There is no significant relationship between inadequate preparation and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty.
3. Level of supervision has no significant relationship with students’ involvement in examination dishonesty.

1.7   Limitations of the Study

The researcher had some sort of limitations in the course of conducting the study which posed a delay to the completion of the work on time. The major challenges encountered by the researcher in the study were inadequate finance, insufficient research information on the topic of the research and time frame for the completion of the research work.

1.8   Definition of Terms

Examination dishonesty: This refers to any behaviour that violates or threatens to violate the sanctity of education. It is also an irregular behaviour exhibited by candidates or anybody changed with the conduct of examination in or outside the examination hall before, during or after the examination.

Students’ achievement: This is the achievement of students as determined by their test and examination scores.

Attitude: This is the way one thinks and feels about something that shows how he thinks and feels.

Supervision: This refers to the act of watching, directing and monitoring what someone does or how something is done.

Social studies: A core social science subject offering at the junior secondary school level.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

For an objective research to be conducted, several works related to the study have to be reviewed. It therefore becomes pertinent to review some scholarly works on examination dishonesty and academic achievement of students in schools.

This chapter is discussed under the following sub-headings:

1. Concept of examination dishonesty
2. Examination dishonesty and students’ academic achievement
3. Poor attitude to studies and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty
4. Lack of adequate preparation and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty
5. Level of supervision and students’ involvement in examination dishonesty
6. Summary of reviewed literature