Influence of Principals’ Unethical Conduct in the Increasing Rate of Examination Malpractice in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of principals’ unethical conduct on the increasing rate of examination malpractice in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the conduct of the study. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The study was carried out in Rivers State. The population of the study was 310 principals in senior secondary schools in Rivers State. Since the population of the study was manageable, the researcher adopted a census. Hence, the sample size of the study was 310 principals, comprising 218 male and 92 female principals in senior secondary schools in Rivers State. The instrument used for data collection was a four-point rating scale questionnaire titled “Influence of Principals’ Unethical Conduct on the Increasing Rate of Examination Malpractice.” The instrument was validated by two experts, one in educational management and the other in measurement and evaluation. In order to establish the internal consistency of the instrument, Cronbach's alpha was used, which yielded 0.87, 0.82, and 0.84 reliability coefficients. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The criterion mean was 2.50, i.e., items with mean values equal to or greater than 2.50 were termed “Agree,” while items with mean values less than 2.50 were termed “Disagree.” The null hypothesis was tested using a z-test. The basis for accepting or rejecting the null hypothesis was that when z-cal is higher than z-critical, the hypothesis was rejected and vice versa. The study found that principals' unethical conduct, such as professional misconduct, neglect of duty, and discrimination, greatly contribute to the increasing rate of examination malpractice in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, amongst other things, that the government should provide intensive training for principals on how to inclusively manage secondary schools. This will help to reduce the level of discrimination that could lead to examination malpractice in secondary schools.