This paper examined the impact of awareness creation and administration of various sanctions on examination malpractice, using the West African Examinations Council as a case study. The effects of the awareness level and the sanctions were also critically x-rayed with a view to applauding the results if encouraging or suggesting an improved strategy for an effective control and noticeable reduction in the rate of examination malpractice in public examinations like the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) conducted by WAEC.
The rate of candidates’ involvement in malpractice during the public examinations conducted across West African subregion is of great concern to many stakeholders. In spite of stringent measures taken to curb malpractice, the rate of involvement seems to be increasing geometrically. It is in reaction to this worrisome trend that this study was conducted to probe into the root-cause of continuous indulgence in malpractice during the examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria. This is with a view to measuring the public awareness level as regards the implications of involvement in examination malpractice and appealing to their moral instinct to eschew this menace, using the proposed theory of awareness-creation and sanction-strategy (SACS). The study employed purposive sampling technique in selecting 10 (ten) states where various stakeholders in education were sampled for the administration of a questionnaire designed to gauge their knowledge of implications of involvement in examination malpractice of different forms. One thousand copies (1,000) of the instrument were administered in the States of Abia, Katsina, Kebbi, Benue, Kwara, Cross-River, Bayelsa, Nasarawa Niger and Edo among the Senior Secondary three Students, their teachers and parents of the same students. These states were purposively selected for their high level of malpractice recorded in the examination conducted by WAEC in recent times. Out of the administered copies of the instrument, nine hundred and forty-two (942) were retrieved for analysis.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Statement of the Problem
3. Literature Review
3.1 Bringing Foreign Material into Examination Hall
3.2 Irregular Activities Inside or Outside the Examination Hall
3.3 Collusion
3.4 Impersonation
3.5 Leakage
3.6 Mass Cheating
3.7 Insult/Assault on Supervisors/Invigilators/Inspectors
3.8 Contravention of Instructions to Candidates
4. Theoretical Frame
5. Research Methodology
6. Discussion of Findings
6.1 Table 1 LEVEL OF AWARENESS BY GENDER
6.2 Table 2: LEVEL OF AWARENESS BY DESIGNATION
6.3 TABLE 3: LEVEL OF AWARENESS ON STATE BASIS
6.4 TABLE 4: LEVEL OF AWARENESS ON STATE BASIS- HIGHEST TO LOWEST
6.5 Table 5: CONTINGENCY ON RESPONDENTS’ AWARENESS OF MALPRACTICE
7. Application of SACS to Curbing Examination Malpractice
8. Recommendations
9. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to evaluate the level of public awareness regarding the implications of examination malpractice in WAEC-conducted examinations in Nigeria and to propose the "Sanction and Awareness-Creation Strategy" (SACS) as an effective intervention to curb this rising menace.
- Measurement of stakeholder awareness regarding examination malpractice.
- Identification of root causes for the persistent increase in examination fraud.
- Analysis of the effectiveness of current sanctions applied by examination bodies.
- Development of the Sanction and Awareness-Creation Strategy (SACS).
- Evaluation of stakeholder attitudes across different Nigerian states.
Excerpt from the Book
Application of SACS to Curbing Examination Malpractice
In the area of awareness creation, a radical approach should be adopted by going from school to school and from state to state for sensitization. Not only that, the mass media should also be explored in creating awareness for students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders on various offences that constitute malpractice and their attendant sanctions. It is believed that students and most parents are often kept in the dark on these offences and their implications. As they continue to approach teachers and other agents of examination malpractice who are partially or fully informed for a fee, these unscrupulous elements continue to hide the information from them in other to feed fat from the dastard practice. What is the result? Useless certificates as those who escape the penalty of involvement in malpractice cannot defend their certificates anywhere. Instead of becoming assets to themselves and their society, they end up being liabilities to the whole nation. As for those who are caught, they have either a delayed progress in future or no future at all. What a waste of time and resources! A stich in time saves nine.
Concerning the administration of the appropriate sanctions, all collaborators in an offence should be sanctioned and in an ignominious manner for that matter. Taking a case of collusion for example, the schools, the students, the states, the supervisors and the invigilators should be sanctioned. As reporting them to their ministries of education and other associations like ANCOPS yields no result, the names, schools and other necessary details should be published in the dailies for posterity to see and judge. Apart from losing their feign integrity, they will also lose the patronage of innocent students under their tutelage and their parents who ignorantly pay exorbitantly to ruin their children’s future. The same approach should be followed in sanctioning errant examiners who toy with lives of candidates out of share carelessness, and disrespect for dignity of labour.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of the study's scope, examining the impact of awareness and sanctions on reducing malpractice in WAEC examinations.
Statement of the Problem: Discusses the alarming rise of examination malpractice and its erosive effect on educational standards and certificate integrity.
Literature Review: Defines malpractice through various scholarly lenses and traces its historical context from global perspectives to the Nigerian experience.
Theoretical Frame: Introduces the "Sanction and Awareness-Creation Strategy" (SACS) as a theoretical framework to combat examination fraud through improved sensitization and stringent measures.
Research Methodology: Outlines the purposive sampling technique used to survey 10 states in Nigeria, involving students, teachers, and parents.
Discussion of Findings: Presents the statistical analysis of the questionnaire data, revealing high awareness levels among stakeholders that do not correlate with a reduction in malpractice.
Application of SACS to Curbing Examination Malpractice: Proposes practical steps for implementing radical awareness and transparent sanctioning processes.
Recommendations: Offers specific policy suggestions, including inter-agency synergy, publication of culpable schools, and increased teacher training.
Conclusion: Summarizes that current sanctions are insufficient, necessitating the adoption of the SACS approach to effectively deter examination malpractice.
Keywords
Public-examinations, Malpractice, Awareness-creation, Sanction-strategy, Stakeholders, WAEC, Nigeria, Education, Examination fraud, Collusion, Impersonation, Leakage, Mass cheating, Deterrence, Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates the level of public awareness regarding the implications of examination malpractice in WAEC-conducted examinations and proposes a new strategy (SACS) to address the issue.
What are the core themes addressed in the study?
Key themes include the definition and history of malpractice, the current landscape of examination offences, the role of stakeholder awareness, and the effectiveness of existing disciplinary sanctions.
What is the ultimate goal of the research?
The goal is to determine why malpractice continues to rise despite awareness and to provide a "re-strategy" involving radical awareness and stricter sanctions to curb this educational menace.
Which scientific methodology was applied?
The study utilized a purposive sampling technique, surveying stakeholders (students, teachers, parents) in 10 states, followed by descriptive statistical analysis of the collected questionnaire data.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body details specific malpractice offences, statistical findings regarding awareness levels by gender, designation, and state, and practical applications for the SACS framework.
How would you describe the key terms of this work?
The work is defined by concepts such as Sanction-strategy, Awareness-creation, Examination fraud, and Stakeholder involvement in the context of the West African Examinations Council.
Why did the authors specifically select the 10 states involved in the study?
These states were selected because they have recorded a high level of examination malpractice in recent times, providing a relevant ground for testing the effectiveness of awareness and sanction strategies.
Does the study suggest that awareness alone can solve the problem of malpractice?
No, the findings conclude that despite high awareness among stakeholders, the malpractice rate continues to rise, indicating that current sanctions are not severe enough to act as an effective deterrent.
What specific role does the SACS theory play in this study?
SACS (Sanction and Awareness-Creation Strategy) serves as the theoretical framework proposed to modernize and intensify the crusade against malpractice by using media and radical sanctioning.
- Citar trabajo
- Dr. Busari Moshood (Autor), Oyediran Y.R.A. (Autor), 2017, Public Awareness of Malpractice during the Examinations by WAEC in Nigeria, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/385699
