Tendency to Cheat during Mathematics Examination and some Achievement-Related Behaviour among Secondary School Students in Lesotho.

Abstract

The most important threat to the credibility of the results of educational assessment in Africa is examination malpractice. Given the many important and vital decisions to which its results are put, assessment is useful only to the extent that it provides the various decisions-making processes with a vital index which, with high degree of confidence, represents the level of ability implied in the certification given to the products of education. Ensuring this is one of the most important aspect of this challenge is curbing the 'rising cases of malpractice and irregularities in the conduct of public examinations" in Africa.




In an attempt to contribute a solution to this problem, this study was undertaken to test hypotheses on factors that relate to the tendency to cheat in mathematics examination (TTCME) by secondary school students in Lesotho. Questionnaire data as well as Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination results collected on 717 students were analysed using mainly one-way ANOVA statistical procedure. The results showed that students with different levels of TTCME during mathematics examination differed significantly (p<.01) on several achievement-related variables, as well as in their performance in the JSC mathematics examination by these students.





IFE PsychologIA Vol 9, No1 2001, pp. 47-64



KEY WORDS:

Examination malpractices; cheating; students' performance in mathematics; validity of examination results; Lesotho.