Social Studies Students’ Perceived Causes of Examination Malpractice in the University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated social studies students’ perceived causes of examination malpractice in the  University of Calabar, Calabar Cross River State- Nigeria. The research design used for this study was survey method. A total of 207 students from the Department of Social Science Education (Social Studies Unit) were used for the study. Purposive sampling procedure was used to obtain the sample from the population. The instruments used for the study was the researchers designed and validated questionnaire titled "Perceived Causes of Examination Malpractices Questionnaire" (PCEMPQ) which consisted of 15 items on perceived causes of examination malpractice. The respondents were requested to tick the options as applicable to them. Test re-test reliability index was established. The reliability coefficient ranged from 0.77 and 0.85 indicating that it met appropriate psychometric requirements for use in collecting the data for the study. Data generated from the instrument were used to answer the research questions using simple percentages. The result shows that there is a varying range of differences occurring between male and female undergraduate students’ perceptions on factors responsible for examination malpractice. The result also shows a randomized range of variation of the simple percentages of undergraduates’ perception of factors responsible for involvement in examination malpractice on the basis of year of study. Based on the findings of this study; it was recommended that there should be the full implementation of the examination malpractices decree which provides for imprisonment of culprits to 21 years jail term. It was also recommended that there should be increased emphasis on the use of continuous assessment by schools and examination boards in determining students’ success or failure in public examinations.