Examination Malpractice in Ghana

ASSESSMENT OF EXAMINATIONS MISCONDUCT IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA

BY

DARI JEMILATU

LIKUU CELICIA

A PROSPOSAL TO THE INSTITUTE OF DISTANCE LEARNING, KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF

COMMON WEALTH EXECUTIVE MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

INSTITUTE OF DISTANCE LEARNING, KNUST

March, 2013

Background to the study

Examination is an important aspect of the education process in the world and as far as Ghana is concerned. This is the stage at which the learner’s knowledge, skills, ability and competencies are assessed, and judgments made about such performance. The outcome of such judgement is used for diagnosing as well as placement of students. Beating the due process of examinations leads to malpractices. It experience by many students, parents, teachers and other practitioners in education are familiar with it. Examination defined by other scholar among them is (onotume ,93) as “ all forms of measurement and evaluation tests taken as institutional arrangements to determine the quality and quantity of knowledge or ability by a candidates as the attainment or progress towards attainment of desired learning goal”. Examination as a measure of knowledge and attainment of mastery of learning, provision of feedback to both teachers, learners, promotion, placement, certification and diagnosis of learning difficulties among others.

Examination malpractice was described as a cankerworm (Yakubu, 1998;

Edokpa, 1998). This prompted the Federal Military Government to promulgate

“Examination Malpractices Decree 20” in 1984. The decree prescribes heavy

punishment for offenders. In spite of stiff penalties, examination malpractice is

growing in leaps and bounds at all levels of...