Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Examination Malpractice at the College of Distance Education University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Abstract

Examination malpractice and its implications to education have become a global menace that researchers are trying to find solutions to curb over the decades. This study, therefore, aimed at examining stakeholders'(students, Regional Coordinators (RCs), and Examination Unit staff) perceptions of examination malpractice at the College of Distance Education (CoDE) of the University of Cape Coast. The descriptive design was used for the study. A sample size of 259 respondents which comprises three Regional Coordinators, four staff of the CoDE examination Unit, and 252 students were selected from an accessible population of 3,102. The multistage and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select respondents across the selected study centers. A self-developed questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide were used to collect data from students and the other stakeholders. The findings of the study revealed that the majority (148) representing 58.7% of students perceived examination malpractice to be a common practice among students although unethical and wrong, whereas 124 (49.2%) of students indicated that examination malpractice was a wrongful act. The study therefore, concluded that the management of CoDE should make course modules readily available to students on time, and should severely punish culprits to deter other students from engaging in examination malpractices.