STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NURSING SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR, CALABAR.

ABSTRACT

This study is aimed at assessing the students’ perceptions of examination malpractice in the Department of Nursing Science, University of Calabar. Three specific objectives, three research question and one null hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive research design was adopted. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the class level of the students while simple random sampling was used to choose the required number of students in each class level. Out of the total population of 560 students from year two to year five in the department, 233 students were used for the study. A self-developed questionnaire (Students Perception of Examination Malpractice Questionnaire (SPEMQ)) in 4 point modified Likert type scale with reliability of 0.87 was used for data collection. The questionnaire was distributed to the students in the classroom setting with 98.71% return rate. Information derived from the questionnaire were subjected to descriptive and chi-square statistics testing at 0.05 level of significance. Results were presented in Table as frequencies and percentages. Findings revealed that Majority of the students’ nurses are females, the students demonstrated good understanding of examination ethics, the nursing students’ perception has no significance relationship (P-value > 0.05) with examination malpractice and that University authorities, academic staff and students are all contributory factors in the issue of examination malpractice in the Department of Nursing Science. The major forms of examination malpractice identified in the department of Nursing Science are copying or attempting to copy other students answers during examinations, Inscribing materials or information on  body, dresses, handkerchief, rulers, purses, chairs, tables and on the examination hall, communication with fellow students during examination and Paying money to lecturers or other staffs to pass examinations (Sorting).In view of this, the implications for nursing education and practice were highlighted. It was recommendation amongst others that the Department and University authorities should enforce and adopted strategies for curbing examination mal practice in order to produce competent nursing who can rise above situation barriers in the society

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE                                                                                                 i

CERTIFICATION                                                                                         ii

DEDICATION                                                                                               iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS                                                                           iv

ABSTRACT                                                                                                    v

TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                                               vii

LIST OF TABLES                                                                                         ix

 

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1              Background of the study                                                                    1

1.2              Statement of Problem                                                                         5

1.3              Purpose of Study                                                                                6

1.4              Specific Objectives                                                                             6

1.5              Research Questions                                                                             7

1.6              Research Hypothesis                                                                           7

1.7              Scope of the Study                                                                             7

1.8              Significance of the Study                                                                   7

1.9              Limitation of the study                                                                       8

1.10          Operational Definition of Terms                                                         8

 

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Conceptual Framework                                                                       10

2.1.1    The concept and purpose of examination                                           10

2.1.2    Meaning of examination malpractice                                                  11

 2.1.3   The concept of Perception                                                                  13

2.2       Factors Responsible for Examination Malpractice                             14

2.3       Incidence and Forms of Examination Malpractice                             15

2.4       Agents of Examination Malpractice                                                   19

2.5       Reasons for the prevalence of Examination Malpractice                    20

2.6       Effect of Examination Malpractice                                                    21

2.7       Strategies for Curbing Examination Malpractice                                22

2.8       Theoretical Framework                                                                       23       

2.8.1    Deficit theory                                                                                      23       

2.8.2    Attribution theory                                                                               24

2.9       Related Empirical Studies                                                                  26

 

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS

3.1       Research Design                                                                                 29

3.2       Research Setting                                                                                 29

3.3       Research Population                                                                           30

3.4       Sample                                                                                                30

3.4.1    Inclusion Criteria                                                                                31

3.5       Sampling Techniques                                                                          32

3.6       Instrument for Data Collection                                                           32       

3.6.1    Validation of the Instrument                                                              33

3.6.2    Reliability of the Instrument                                                               33

3.7       Method of Data Collection                                                                 33

3.8       Ethical Consideration                                                                                     34

3.9       Data Preparation                                                                                 34

3.10     Methods for Data Analysis                                                                 35

 

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS PRESENTATION

4.1       Demographic Variables of the Respondents                                      37

4.2       Data Analysis to Answer Research Questions                                   39

4.2.1    Research Question One                                                                      39

4.2.2    Research Question Two                                                                      43

4.2.3    Research Question Three                                                                    49

4.3       Hypothesis Testing                                                                             52

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS,

 IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1       Discussion of Findings                                                                       54

5.1.1    Students Perception of Examination Malpractice in Nursing

Science Department                                                                            54

5.1.2    Students Perception as regards factors influencing Examination

Malpractice in Nursing Science Department                                      55

5.1.3    Students Perception towards the forms of Examination Malpractice

in Nursing Science Department                                                          56

5.2       Hypothesis Testing                                                                             57

5.3       Summary of the Study                                                                        58

5.4       Conclusions                                                                                         60

5.5       Implications to Nursing                                                                      60

5.6       Recommendations                                                                              61

5.7       Suggestion for Further Studies                                                           61

REFERENCES                                                                                              63

APPENDICES                                                                                               66

 

 

 

LIST OF TABLES  

Table 1:     Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents                              37

Table 2: Question 1: What is the perception of students towards           examination malpractices in the Department of Nursing Science?                                                        39

Table 3:     Summary of Responses on Students Perception of Examination    Malpractice in the Department of Nursing                                                                                               40

Table 4a:   Problems posed by university authorities                                           41

Table 4b:   Problems posed by lecturers                                                               42

Table 4c:    Problems posed by students                                                               43

Table 5a:    Problems posed by University Authorities                                         44

Table 5b:   Problems posed by lecturers                                                               46

Table 5c:    Problems posed by students                                                               48

Table 6:     Question 3: What are various forms of examination malpractice student indulge in, in nursing science department?                                                                            50

Table 7:     Summary of Response data for the various forms of Examination Malpractice in the Department of Nursing Science.                                                                                 51

Table 8:     Summary of Chi-square test Result for Research Question one.        53