Relationship between Selected School Determinants and Examination Cheating tendencies among Kenyan Secondary School Students

Abstract

Abstract The present study investigated the relationship between selected school determinants and examination cheating among Kenyan secondary school students. This study used a Sequential Explanatory design in Mixed Methods approach. The target population was 51,900 students in Kisumu County within 153 public secondary schools categorized as 2 National secondary schools, 21 extra county schools, and 130 county and sub-county schools with a total student population of 51,900 in Kisumu County. A simple random sampling technique was used to determine sample size which comprised of 380 respondents since the study was confined within specific ecological boundary which was public secondary schools. Data collection instruments included questionnaires, for general data collection from the respondents and in-depth interview schedules for one to one interview of respondents. The finding of the study shows that there was statistically significant, though weak, positive correlation (r=.211, n=360, p<.05) between school determinants and overall perceived level of exams cheating. The model shows that school determinants accounted for 4.5% (Coefficient R2= .045) of the variation in exams cheating among the students in secondary schools. The Ministry of Education should create ethical academy that would enhance a systems approach to understand misconduct and to empower change in higher education through ethical examinations. This is because the study reported that examination cheating is mainly determined by teachers with low ethical standards.