Managing Examination Malpractice and Secondary School Students’ Outcome in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State

ABSTRACTThe sustainable outcome of student academic performance is affected by examination malpractice in secondary schools in Calabar South. This study examined examination-counselling programs, employment of qualified teachers, and effective use of continuous assessment techniques as strategies for examination malpractice. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Choice theory of learner behavior were adopted with justifications for enhancing the academic achievement of students. Three research questions and hypotheses were developed to guide the study. Ex-post factor design was adopted with a sample size of 220 teachers. An 16-item structured questionnaire on managing examination malpractice and secondary school students outcome (MEMSSSO) was developed, tested and validated. Data from the research instrument was analyzed using mean while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses. Findings revealed that examination-counselling programs help students to establish their realistic academic goals and improve their habit of developing cognitive ability full potential for improved academic performance against examination malpractices. Qualified teachers have helped to create a positive learning environment where students have adequate support to learn comfortably and have confidence in passing examinations with malpractices. The use of continuous assessment has helped to identify learning gaps that encourage examination malpractice and students are able to improve their overall learning experience through the regular assessment by teachers. It recommended things that school management should continuously have the commitment to using examination-counselling programe as a tool to help students establish their academic goals and in order to improve their cognitive ability to full potential and overcome examination malpractices. Employment of qualified teachers should not be compromised to ensure that competent teachers are available to create a positive learning environment where students can have adequate support to learn comfortably and have confidence in passing examinations without malpractices. The effective use of continuous assessment should be sustained in the school educational system to help identify learning gaps and make teachers improve student learning experience through regular assessment.