Causes of mass examination malpractices among secondary school students of kogi state

The study examined the causes of mass examination malpractices among the secondary students in Kogi State. The descriptive survey method was used as the research design. 360 participants of 300 students and 60 teachers were randomly selected from the three senatorial districts of Kogi West, Kogi East and Kogi Centre through the multi-stage stratified random sampling techniques. Two sets of self-constructed questionnaires titled “A” Forms Of Examination Malpractices (FOEM) and “B” Types Of Examination Malpractice (TOEM) by the researchers were used for gathering data. Data collected were analyzed using means and standard deviation to answer the research questions while t-test- was used to test the three raised hypothesis at 0.05 levels of significant. The study rated coping and transferring of answer scripts most common of all examination malpractices. However agreed on assistance to students, irrational marks allocation, dubbing/copying, use of signs/symbol but disagreed on teachers favoring students. Equally agreed that leakages, external forces, smuggling, collusion and impersonation. However, the study further revealed no significant difference between male and female involvement in examination malpractices as well as between J.S.S.S and S.S.S students but significant difference was formed between the teachers made examination and standardized examination. The study recommend shorting of the holiday period for students, place more emphasis on Continuous Assessment, proper training for the teachers, encourage professionalism of teachers and examiners, proper checking of examination hall before the commencement of exams, handsome reward for teachers nad punishment for caring students and posting of qualified guidance and counselors to all schools.