Developing Students’ Capacity Against Examination Malpractice Behaviours Through Selected Psychosocial Strategies

Abstract

Examination malpractice refers to all forms of cheating and illegal examination related offences that gives student unmerited grades, promotion or higher placement. Some causes of examination malpractice include those connected to institutional, societal and personal variables. As expected, several solutions have been suggested to curb it and those tested have shown some results. But yet, the strategies have not done much in addressing the personal variables, particularly those that should target changing the cognitive and affective antisocial orientation and build their capabilities on ethics and study. These are expected to help students desist from examination malpractice behaviors. One researcher noted that it is almost a routine for students to cheat. The present researcher perceive that the right intervention has not been used to curb examination malpractice among students across all level of the education, which may be the reason it still persists. In fact, examination malpractice is equally evolving in sophistication and assuming innovative dimensions, so this intervention is apt. Suffice to emphasize that examination malpractice in the education system if not curbed continues to undermine the achievement of quality education and production of quality graduates. The consequences of it among middle and high skilled work force has caused the society so much disappointment and loss. Losses incurred in retraining programs to enhance work adjustment of employees, inability to perform as a graduate when called up to, to mention some. Therefore, intervention in student’s classroom learning is needed such as lessons on how to process information and to make use of memory strategies in studying. This is with the view to besides achieving good academic performance, but to help more of them to be self-reliant, productive and employable in this 21st century economy and beyond. The paper concludes that unlearning examination malpractice behavior among students is achievable. Adoption of these intervention strategies can increase students’ confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Overall quality education would be engendered. Suggestions such as instructors should be more creative in teaching and students should imbibe good study habits were made.