RATE, IMPLICATION AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES AMONG SCIENCE STUDENTS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the rate, implications and possible solutions to examination malpractices among science students of Federal College of Education, Abeokuta. Four research questions were raised and served as guide to the study. Stratified and simple random sampling technique were used to select 10 students each from 100 to 300 level in seven (7) departments of the School of Science, to make a total of two hundred and ten (210) respondents. A self constructed and validated questionnaire was used to collect data for the study while simple percentage and chi-square were used for data analysis. The findings showed that majority of the respondents (90%) of the respondents) agreed that inadequate preparation of students lead to examination malpractice. The research findings also showed that lack of conducive examination halls encourage examination malpractices. (86.7% of the students); with poor study techniques, poor moral training, 78.1% of student agreed that laziness on the part of students is a major cause of examination malpractices, etc, identified as some of the causes of the immoral act. Also, regular campaign against examination practice, development of effective study methods and not cramming are some of the identified measures that could be adopted to reduce the rate of examination malpractices among the students. The researchers recommended among others, the building of a good foundation of self discipline among students right from their respective homes as the task of curbing fraudulent practices in our educational system should not be left to the institutions management, government and examination bodies alone.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In recent years, Nigerian educational system experience different categories of examination malpractices, this evil in our education system has been a major problem which is commonly perpetrated by various stakeholders, the institutions, parents, students, teachers are not left out of the practice.
Looking at the level of the examination malpractice that is upheld in our educational institutions, Afigbo (1996), one would be justifiable worried about the future of the nation where over 80% of people merely pass through educational institutions to obtain just certificate (Ogbajo and Alyawuju, 2004). In essence, people only attend schools these days to obtain certificate without thorough learning.
Considering these ugly trend, all levels of our educational system can hardly be absolved in the milieu from primary to tertiary level, with little or no solution (Afigbo, 1996).
Despite every call for collaborative war against examination malpractice, the degree and faces of malpractice continue to spread and reported in our national dailies (Ogbayi 2004).
The category of people involved as observed by Ogbayi and Alawuya (2004) are those who are supposed to be actively involved in the crusade against this evil but instead are aiding and abetting in one way or the other, these include school proprietors, administrators, parents, personnel’s of examination bodies, teachers etc.
