| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study is to investigate into the factors that contribute to malpractices in examinations in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations. The study used descriptive survey because it enables data collection from a large sample. The study target 21 registered public secondary schools in Kitui West District which have a form four students population of 1393,221 principals and teachers. In order to obtain a required sample for the study, I grouped schools into categories that is boys boarding (provincial), girls boarding (provincial), mixed boarding (provincial), mixed boarding (district), mixed day and boarding (district) and mixed day (district). To select the sample for this study, I used stratified simple random sampling technique to select one school from each category and results formed 6 secondary schools that is making a total of 6 Head teachers participating in this study.
To get the sample size of students I used stratified simple random sampling to select 10 form fours in each school which led to a sample of 60 Students. Researcher used simple random sampling technique to select 2 teachers from each of the sampled schools which led to a sample size of 12 teachers. In total 78 Respondents were selected for this study. The research instruments used in the study were questionnaire for teachers and students and an interview schedule for head teacher. It is clear from the findings of the study that public secondary schools in Kitui west were experiencing incidences of examination malpractices. Findings also show that students were motivated by various factors for example lack of time for preparation, pressure from the parents and teachers to pass examination and progress in their careers with good results.
The study also revealed that teachers were found to be a contributing factor to cheating by students in examination by not preparing them adequately for the examination. Supervisors and invigilators of the examination are the teachers they don't have proper supervision and invigilators to students hence allowing them to enter the examination room with materials like written notes, textbooks etc. Study also establish that teachers should try to find out from students why they are cheating, punishing cheating students from school and offering guidance and counseling to cheating students and calling cheating students parents to school.
Recommendation of the study are that students be adequately and properly be checked before being allowed into examination rooms. KNEC should formulate new rules based on the changing cheating techniques so as to make supervision of examination more effective. Guidance and counseling be provided or improved to help students to desist from cheating in examinations. Further recommendations are that syllabus be covered in time to pave way for adequate revision for examinations and students found to be cheating be adequately punished to deter them from engaging in the vice and also to serve a lesson to other offenders.
In the view of limitations and delimitations of the study the researcher suggest that a, similar study be carried out involving parents, KNEC officials given that the findings of this study have indicated that they are much involved in examination cheating in secondary schools. A similar study be also carried out in other parts of the county given that, exam cheating has been identified as affecting all parts of the county. | en_US |
