LOS ECOSISTEMAS

Analysis of data is presented thematically. Each theme encapsulates the views of students and teachers on the questionnaire, interview and observation. The themes were derived from coding and categorising the interview data. Seven major themes emerged from the data and are analysed in two chapters of this work. Chapter 4 consists of respondents’ views on their schools: students’ and teachers’ understanding of and prevalence of

examination; factors that determined examination malpractice; the attitude of students and teachers towards examination malpractice and prevention of examination malpractice. Chapter 5 examines respondents’ views on

consulting students on schooling and prevention of examination malpractice. The chapter explores the understanding of students and teachers on

consulting students about schooling, perspectives of students and teachers on consulting students about examination malpractice and students and teachers understanding of preventing examination malpractice through student voice. Data from the questionnaire is used to substantiate the interview data. Figure 6 shows the summary of contents data analysis in chapters 4 and 5 and respondents views on the topics discussed.

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4.1 Students and teachers understanding of and prevalence of

examination malpractice

This part of the study examines students and teachers understanding of examination malpractice; is it a problem in their schools worth preventing and the prevalence of examination malpractice in these schools. Students have perceptions of what examination and examination malpractice mean. Examination is defined as the way schools or examination boards check if students have understood what they were taught over “a particular period of time” and “how far they did”. This check on students’ understanding could be conducted “verbally or by writing”. Examination is the “way the ability of an individual is tested”. If a student brings in forbidden materials into the exam hall, the student is “not taking exam”. Students perceived malpractice as a behaviour that is contrary to the rules.

Examination malpractice is illegal attitude or misconduct of students in examination hall

(Kevin, 17, St. Albert) Acts of students to have undue advantage over other students in exam hall (John, 15, St. Alphonsus)

It is trying to achieve something, to pass exam through improper way

(Callista, 13, St. Monica) The nine definitions of examination malpractice given by students share some common features: it is an illegal act, taking place during the examination or outside the examination hall and it is aimed at passing examinations. They also perceive some attributes associated with this illegal act; these are: misconduct, the student’s advantage over others and the predetermined nature of the act.

142 Teachers’ perceptions of examination malpractice share some similarities with those of students’: teachers observed that examination malpractice involves using illegal means during examinations in order to achieve examination success. The intention of using illegal means during examinations is to aid a student in examination.

When we talk about exam malpractice or cheating, we mean when a student uses unorthodox method or method that is not allowed or external aid in an examination, to help him or her pass

(Teacher, St. Alphonsus)

4.1.2 Examination malpractice as a problem

Examination malpractice is perceived by students as a problem to some students, schools and the country as a whole. It is a behaviour that has existed for a ‘long’ time; it is “a canker worm eating the education system”. They perceived examination malpractice to be one of their greatest problems and that it is determined by other institutional problems. Examination

malpractice is not only a personal problem, it is an institutional problem. Our major problem in this school is examination malpractice. It is a major problem, it is the chief problem which is caused by other problems

(Collins, 18, St. Albert)

Teachers share the view that examination malpractice is a problem in the Nigerian education system. Students believe that the end justifies the means: the higher grades they will get justify their engagement in examination

malpractice. Corruption and malpractices in the society are perceived to originate from decay in the education system. It is imagined that purging the education system of examination malpractice would bring discipline and healing to the society.

143 Examination malpractice is the greatest problem ... [it is seen as] the father of all corruption in Nigeria, all evils in Nigeria

(Ejiofor, principal, St. Monica) the fight against corruption can’t succeed unless you establish an educational system that is imbued with ethics…if you don’t clean up the education system, for every corrupt person that you catch and jail, the

educational system is producing another ten thousand replacements (Ukachukwu, principal, St. Albert)

Examination malpractice is seen at all levels of education; elementary and secondary schools and it has become “endemic in tertiary institutions”. It is witnessed in both private and public schools. Methods of examination malpractice have become “sophisticated”. Examination malpractice has become an “organized crime”: people gain money from it as in “drug

trafficking and money laundering”. Students now believe that they will pass examinations “whether they read or not”. Students do not see themselves as the only people to be blamed for examination malpractice; others involved in their education are also to be blamed:

As Nigeria is concerned, on the issue of examination malpractice, everybody is to be blamed; the student is to be blamed, the government and the teachers

(Chika, 14, St. Monica)

4.1.3 Why students engage in examination malpractice

The primary reasons students engage in examination malpractice is that “they want to pass”. They want to get better results, to “get higher grades” and to retain or attain a good position in the class. Students also engage in

examination malpractice when they are “afraid of failing exams”, to achieve the school’s grading for a pass in order to be “promoted”. Some students engage in examination malpractice because they made the interpretation that it is the “school culture”; they engage in it because they see their peers doing

144 the same and not caught. Some students don’t see “education as something they need to help them in life”. Some excerpts from students’ interviews portray these interpretations:

I cheated because I want to pass, but the main purpose I did it was that others are doing it

(Ignatius, 18, St. Alphonsus)

Students cheat in exam and assessment in other to get good grades in their respective subject while some do cheat because they want to occupy the first or second position at the end of the session

(Rosita, 16, St. Monica)

Students may be trying to cheat in exam because whereby after all, every student would like to be promoted in any class. So I believe it is a shameful thing not to be promoted with others. Moreover we students these days don’t like to be repeating class

(Chinenye, 15, St. Monica)