Psychosocial Predictors of Secondary School Students’ Attitude Towards Cheating in Examination in Emuoha Local Government Area, Rivers State

Abstract

The study investigated Psychosocial Predictors of Secondary School Students’ Attitude Towards Cheating In Examination In Emuoha Local Government Area, Rivers State. Five research questions and five corresponding hypotheses were formulated for the study. Correlational and descriptive research design was used for the study. The population of the study consisted of all the senior secondary school students in the 20 public schools in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. A sample of 125 senior secondary school II students was drawn for the study using the multi-stage sampling technique. The instruments used for data collection in this study were the Students’ Attitude Cheating Scale (SACS) and the Psychosocial Predictors Scale (PPS). The validity of both instruments was done using experts’ assessment while their reliability was determined through Cronbach Alpha method. The reliability coefficient of 0.78 was realized for Students’ Attitude Cheating Scale (SACS) and 0.82 was realized for Psychosocial Predictors Scale (PPS) respectively. Analysis of the instruments was done using simple regression as well as t-test. Finding showed that achievement motivation (p=0.001<0.05) and self-efficacy (p= 0.000<0.05) all had significant relationship with secondary school student’s attitude towards cheating. On the contrary, there was insignificant differences (p= 0.22>0.05) between the attitude of male and female students. Based on this, it was recommended among others that school authorities should encourage the student to get involved in educational and social clubs which will help them academically and morally.