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 dependency on external technology results from our inability to purge out this menace.
Nigerians' known with our emphases on certificate orientation [i.e. presentation of certificate for job or employment] is gradually killing our technology development. The certificate qualification orientation unknowing bedded 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 taught, 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 [Government, administrators, Teachers and students [parents] are primarily focusing on the end result of our education (certificate)].
I often wonder, "Why is examination malpractice a psychological problem?" The growing menace of examination malpractice in our schools 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 Nigeria. Primary, secondary, Tertiary or professional institutions of learning.
Of all educational problems in Nigeria, none poses a great threat than the issue of examination malpractice in schools. Also of public and stakeholders concern is the problem of how to effect improvement in the students performance 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.
Undoubtedly, standards of performance at examination have declined considerably within the past ten years or there about. So also has every sectors of the societal development in the country. The most disturbing aspect of it all is the participation or involvement of school administrators, parents/Guardians, and examinations personnel. The rampant private and special centres for external examination like JAMB, West African Examination Council are part of stated involvement of non schools administrators. The Nigerian President states in Ozuma (2005) that by 2010 if educationalist and stakeholders do not pay adequate attention on the re-orientation and re-channelling of the youth at the post-primary schools to a more acceptable and drastic reduction in examination malpractices, the nation educational standard is bound to rut in pains. How one comes to acquire knowledge, what one comes to know and why such knowledge is possible are developed in [schools] learning cognitively, said Mbanefo (1998). Since what are acquiring during learning is faulty; we are then heading towards a faulty society. As it is know that learning goes hand in hand with malpractice and misconduct in Nigeria and other part of the world, the students cognition is derail and it is gradually killing our society.
EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
The book: students Counselling (1981) argued that anxiety is one of the major problems of examination malpractice. He further suggested that educational programmes in examination stress management are needed to assist students in coping with examination anxiety. This statement above access the favour question that 'why is examination malpractice a psychological problems?' It tend to focus on the cognition of students development; that is their acquisition of interpretation, classification and remembering information, evaluation of ideas; inferring principles and deductions of rules, imagination of possibilities, generation of strategies fantasizing and dreaming.
The periodic test (evaluating) and measurement of students after such periodic acquisition of experience is know as examination argued Efe (1999), Salim (1999) also see examination as a systematic way of the content of a subject pupils or students have acquired after a given period of time by their teachers.
Examination malpractice involves various method employed by candidates to cheat during examinations. Usman (1994). While Sahman's et al (1990) elaborates further and better that malpractice in examination as an unlawful behaviour or activity engaged by students to have personal advantage in an examination over their colleagues or mates who are competing in the same examination. Onfechere (1996) accepted this definition by further throw more light on it illegality that it is an unacceptable equally; an act or any act(s) of misconduct such as leakage, impersonation, writing on hidden part(s) of wares, encoding/decoding of the fingers for objectives tests, exchanges of question papers and answer booklets committed before, during or after the examination by either the students taking the examination or by officials assigned with the administration, evaluating or measuring the examination result.
Shonekan (1996) angrily view examination malpractices as act of omission or commission that contravenes those West AFrican Examination Council rules and regulations to the extents of undermining the validity and reliability of the test and ultimately the integrity of the certificates issues by West AFrican Examination Council. Dike (1996) from the psychological view said examination malpractice is all forms of cheating which directly or indirectly falsely the ability of the students. (Performance).
MANIFESTATION OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN NIGERIA
Examination malpractice is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria, as well as indeed in any part of the world. The first examination malpractice in Nigeria was reported in 1914, when there was a leakage of question paper into the senior Cambridge local examination; others traced the origin of examination malpractices to the wave of cancellation of Nigerian's candidate paper in 1948 because it posses on history during the 1940 matriculation examination to the then 'Yaba' - nigeria technical (Soyele 1991). The most pronounce malpractice in Nigerian in early examination was that of 1964 that was tagged 'expo' subsequently in 1970,1973,1974,1979,1981,1988 and 1991 followed (Oladope 1997). Since 1991 to date examination has taken advance and more sophiticated dimensions, records are been emerged yearly indicating high or low percentage in examination malpractice in the Nationals core examination (external) West AFrican Examination Council and JAMB (Daily time 2005).
To expatiate this manifestation, Proff. Bello Salim (2002) JAMB registrar said that thirty out of one hundred and sixty-six examination towns were involved in cheating and malpractice while forty-five thousand four hundred and forty-eight candidates seeking University admission had their results cancelled in year 2002 because of examination malpractice.
Referring to the examination fraud in the country the Nigerian President, 'Chief Olusegun Obasanjo' said students' in the country perceived education as a means of getting a meal ticket and getting a job (Bello et as 2003); the President further argued that the perception or orientation must charge so that students would appreciate the intrinsic value of education, which is the total development of the individual to be able to make meaningful contributions to the family, community and the country at large.
TYPES AND FORMS OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
A special article public by the West Africa Examination council on How to Pass in Examination (2005), where questions and answers on examination were discussed, The twelfth question is: WHAT IS EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES? Apart from other references made to the West AFrican Examination Council syllabus a list 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 it 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), 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. 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; such case was reported in July 1990, Polytechnic, College of Education Examination in Nigeria - Nnewi centre. (Eze, 1991).2004 West AFrican Examination Council.
Dare (1994) identified plagiarism as a form of examination malpractice that should be investigated and punished in the same way as cheating in the examination hall. Plagiarism is the use of another person's work without appropriate acknowledgement both in the text and in the references at the end of the work. He further add the under listed as other form of plagiarism: -
Copying laboratory and field work reports or item papers or both,
Colluding with a member of staff in order to submit a new prepared answer script as a substitute for the original script after an examination,
Writing of project(s), laboratory or filed report on behalf of a student(s) by a member of staff.
Secretly breaking into a staff office or departmental office in order to obtain questions papers and answer scripts is indicated as another form of examination malpractice that should be condemned argued Fawehimin (cf 2003).
Wollherm (cf 1996) views is from the inception of registration, he said asserted that manipulation of registration forms in order to sit for an examination, which the student is not qualified is also a form of examination malpractice. Others include colluding with a medical doctor in order to obtain dully-medical certificate on grounds of fringed illness producing a fake medical certificate.
Other advance method of text messages has been discovered and experimented, while we keep waiting on more unknown methods of examination malpractice stakeholders must hold their heads high to fight this menace headlock.
FACTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
Researchers on examination malpractice had argued and contributed to the basic factors responsible for examination malpractice in Nigeria, opinion and facts are gathered for this argument.
Aina (1991) and Aliyu et al (1991) agreed in their various submissions that the desire to pass at all cost is responsible for examination malpractice. The facts remain that Nigerian orientation on education is certificate and high-grade intensiveness, students, parents, school management tend to push harder on wards to get the certificate and good-grade by all 'means' to secure employment, others prefer to manipulate to be admitted in a choicest higher institution(s).
All this factors according to Denga (1993) are boiled down to four factors of: -
Psychological
Environmental
Intelligence
A) PSYCHOLOGICAL: - this includes all the stress, which is often induced in by parent, the peer pressure groups, and students; this they experience enormous stress and anxiety in trying to meet the various demand of subjects significantly. A study conducted by Drake (1941), Monday (1971) and Keller (1976) support this psychological reasons, that stress and anxiety experience by students during examination are conspicuous, thus, have been critised because students tend to develop undesirable habit (Ward 1981, Murphy 1988, Lamm 1984), Which normally led them to poorly prepared for examination(s) and subsequently exposed them in engaging in examination malpractice and misconduct. It should also be taken that psychological tremor of failure or scoring low grade promotes their involvement in examination malpractice and misconduct. This psychological factor also brings in Maslow's motivational theories; which emphases the basic need i.e. physiological need of man, he argued that these needs motivate and enhance learning, that if students physiological needs are not physically meant it will affect their concentration in a teaching/learning situation, thereby preparing the students' cognition at a very low level and encourage students to engage in all sort of misconducts and malpractice during examinations.
B) ENVIRONMENT FACTOR: - this is another facxtor stated by Denga (1983) that basically led students/co-riders to examination malpractice and misconduct, the environmental factor include the crowded nature of our classroom/theatres as well as exanimation halls with few invigilators during examination. Teachers/Lecturers inability to cover up the stipulate syllabus, for the period been stated before an internal or external examinations, like promotional examination, WAEC, NECON or JAMB, obsolete and obscured instructional materials which are inadequate in the schools; may force some students to check even if they do not want to in an examination.
C) INTELLIGENCE FACTOR: - Adeloye (2004) in their book stated that the concept of individual difference must be built at the back of our mind when comparing academic competence, ability and comprehension from one student with another, the failure of students to recognize the fact that the IQ (Intelligent Quocent) differs and cannot be compare on is another factor; Thus, academically weak students will atime try to compare himself with naturally gifted student who is brilliant. When the weak-academic student are not able meet up with the challenge, the opt the 'missing' links with crisps or external help to pass their examination, this missing links are associated with misconcept and malpractices. Salim (1998) further elaborated this view from the psychological point; that be intelligent and been smart are two different concept or been academically gifted. Been smart means sly, ability to able been to handle situation with what is physically available within the limited time implies smart while intelligent involves your cognition and reaction to stimulus. A smart student may not be intelligent but can easily pass his/her examinations than an intelligent student
EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE ADVOCATES
From facts gathered as a result of this article, the advocates of examination malpractice are:
The students
The parents/Guardians
Schools' management and their staffs
Examination Officer(s)
These itemised advocates are strongly supported by Thomas Abbey (2005) in a workshop on examination malpractices and it effects.
The much importance attached to certificate in this country had made the advocates of education advocates and pro- examination malpractice. Professor Babs Fafunwa introduced the 6-3-3-4 system of education with the best intentions. Today, as a result of the crazy illusion attached to the worthless paper issued in Nigerian schools called certificates, the -3-3 aspect of the system has been tacify killed. What is left behind is 6-4; a practice where a student leaves secondary school and transfers to the tertiary school irrespective of his/her competence to execute and display the cognitive, psychomotor and affective responsibilities befitting a tertiary level students. The truth remain that most certificate flaunted and brandished by Nigerian Youths are obtained through dubious means. Who would blame the invigilator, WAEC, NECON or JAMB official, the parents or even the candidate for savouring this anti-intellectual, anti-progress, detractive means of achieving academic excellence? Each of these shareholders known that the political leadership is no less transparent than the invigilator.
Both examination officials and schools' staffs are aware that what accrues to them in terms of numeration cannot adequately cater for their basic needs or responsibilities, so they source for something by the wayside - it is a know fact that parents are aware that nobody asks questions about the quality of their wards' certificate. What matters is the production of the piece of paper when needed; the intellectual resourcefulness had been fed with negative orientation so much so that he believes the only avenue to success is to procure a certificate through hook or crook. The student is so much in a hurry to join the sickening debauchery being conducted by Nigeria's elected ruler ship. I believes that the national examination bodies like JAMB, WAEC, NECON should discover the 'forces' driving secondary school students to 'special centre' where examination malpractice is organized and executed with the assistance of the staffs of these examination bodies, students' parents/guardians, a management and staffs of the school 'centre' and the students at the centre. These syndicates connive and get their selected candidates posted to one examination centre where 'they' bribe the supervisors and security operatives and cheat massively with experts in all the subjects. Some examination conducted for secondary school students; the school authorise buy over the supervisor and organize their teachers who solve the questions with multiple options and distributes to the students. As this research is going on, there are new wake up calls for students to come and register for this year's JAMB, NECON, WAEC with these syndicates with "GUARANTEED SUCCESS' - irrespective of whether you study or not. And believe it the students, parent are listening and ready to comply.
CAUSES OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
The causes of examination malpractice are numerous as one encounter examination; different reasons are given to exhaunurate advocates from these acts. These exhaurations tend to expose the causes of examination malpractice. Maduka (2001) sees undue emphasis placed on certificate as one of the causes of examination malpractice in Nigeria. Maduka opined that the Nigeria society places too much emphasis on certificates obtained and examination passed on its own determinants. He further said that paper qualification and certificates serves as means of getting well paid jobs achievement of social status. This argument was strongly agreed to by Dr Tolofari (2006) a director in Rivers State information ministry, he agreed that 'we should realize that the certificate mentality is one of the rook causes of examination malpractice and fraud in Nigeria'. This also emphases the President's statement; (2005) Obasanjo said students in Nigeria perceived education as a means of getting a meal ticket (certificate) and getting a job. As a result of this trend, morality and honesty have been thrown to the dogs to pass examination and obtain certificates so long as emphasis is not on ones performance but on the paper first. Many holders of certificates cannot practically defend them through their performance.
The economy is another causes of examination malpractice states Ahusa (1994) in a journal published and titled "Students performance in Examination". He asserted that due to the dwindling economic standard, low income to meet the ever growing human wants, teachers cum supervisor engages in misconduct and malpractice - these they do in exchange of money (bribe), gift items, contracts and other mouth-watery offers from either the candidates or their advocates. Akinyode (2004) agreed with the poverty levels of Nigerians as one of the causes of examination malpractice, he states that the world Bank and the International community's assessment of the poverty level of Nigerians has moved from 40% in 1992 to 70% in 1996. This poverty level had injected almost all civil servants with virus called bribery. Bribery in our educational system has given birth to the monster called malpractices. These monsters are presently destroying our value of education and making nonsense of our certificates. Bribery in our institution of learning be it primary, secondary or tertiary will not produce the best brains in our society. Bribery would not produce the graduates who would stand tall away equals and who would go on to make tangible and lasting contributions to the advancement of humanity - supported Uwhejevwe -Togbolo (2005).
Fafunwa (1974) identifies another causes of lack of proper guidance and counselling programmes and added that some schools do not have guardian and counselling programmes for students - as such, students take courses without proper guardians; parents sometimes in their pride impose courses on their children not minding the capacity of the affective, cognition or psychomotor of the wards before the imposition. These kids are push too hard and too far thereby making them corrupt through engagement in malpractice and misconducts to please their parent(s) or parent(s) encouraging any form of misconducts or malpractices to justify their pride.
An article in Vanguard Newspaper (1999) carried a sketch of examination malpractice tat truancy and absenteeism made some students to be ill-prepared for examination, not because they absent themselves from schools and lectures but they do not know what others have been taught, some of the students are just lazy therefore they had to resort to examination malpractice as alternative therapy in their careers.
The quota system of admission in our Federal Schools is another factor uprooted by me as causes of examination, he observed that admitting unqualified candidates to meet geographical spread thus emergence of low performance, culminating in cheating or unconventional behaviour called examination malpractices.
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