Development of Examination Behaviour Inventory: An Integrity Measure for Prevention of Cheating in School Exams

Abstract

Cheating in examinations is an educational menace that has threatened the very essence of schooling in most countriesof the world. Therefore, it has become imperative for researchers in education to seek alternative strategies for curbingit in order to restore the dignity of school examinations as an instrument for assessing actual educational attainment bystudents. This research study addresses this challenge by developing an inventory that could be used to measure theexamination behaviour of prospective candidates for school certificate examinations. The rationale for developing theinstrument is based on providing a tool for identifying students who have positive tendencies towards engaging incheating behaviour during school examinations. The initial sample used for the validation of the ExaminationBehaviour Inventory was 2000 candidates enrolled for the 2013 Senior School Certificate Examinations in Nigeriawhile the standardization of the instrument involved 4000 candidates. Cronbach Alpha index of the instrument is .843and Factor Analysis delineated 12 principal component factors. Other psychometric properties of the inventory and thedetailed processes involved in the construction, validation and standardization of this valuable educational instrumentis reported. The instrument is recommended to School Counsellors, Psychologists, Teachers, Administrators and otherstakeholders in education who are interested in the identification of prospective candidates who have a tendency toengage in cheating during examinations so as to apply proactive reformation on them.