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Academic Dishonesty Behaviours in National Examinations: Motives, Reflection, Analysis and Lessons to be Learned
Abstract
National Examination council of Tanzania (NECTA) nullified 3,301 results of
candidates who sat for Form Four National Examination and Qualifying Test in the year 2011. It has not been easy to explain this phenomenon satisfactorily. In its attempt, it was reported that the examination results were nullified because of malpractices especially cheating. The others include cheating in assignments, plagiarism and falsification of certificates. In this paper, I determine how academic cheating is attributed by NECTA, followed by school behavioral analysis interpretations and then motives and factors related to cheating in examinations. A survey was conducted involving 414 students and 70 teachers in secondary schools where behavioral analysis of teachers and students was made and interviews conducted with experienced invigilators. NECTA’s report on how cheating had been done was analyzed and it was found that cheating was explained based on abnormal patterns in students responses, different handwritings in one script, students caught with notes on body parts, use of mobile phones to exchange answers in short message form and impersonation which means fake examinees sit for examination. The reflection of factors and situations under which cheating takes place in the examinations were then reviewed for learning purposes and it was found that cheating occurs when examinees feel inadequate to achieve. Both teachers and students argued that frequent syllabi and text changes, parents’ poverty and poor teaching and learning environment affect teaching and learning.
candidates who sat for Form Four National Examination and Qualifying Test in the year 2011. It has not been easy to explain this phenomenon satisfactorily. In its attempt, it was reported that the examination results were nullified because of malpractices especially cheating. The others include cheating in assignments, plagiarism and falsification of certificates. In this paper, I determine how academic cheating is attributed by NECTA, followed by school behavioral analysis interpretations and then motives and factors related to cheating in examinations. A survey was conducted involving 414 students and 70 teachers in secondary schools where behavioral analysis of teachers and students was made and interviews conducted with experienced invigilators. NECTA’s report on how cheating had been done was analyzed and it was found that cheating was explained based on abnormal patterns in students responses, different handwritings in one script, students caught with notes on body parts, use of mobile phones to exchange answers in short message form and impersonation which means fake examinees sit for examination. The reflection of factors and situations under which cheating takes place in the examinations were then reviewed for learning purposes and it was found that cheating occurs when examinees feel inadequate to achieve. Both teachers and students argued that frequent syllabi and text changes, parents’ poverty and poor teaching and learning environment affect teaching and learning.
