SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES IN NIGERIA EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: CAUSES AND EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT

The concern of sociology is to explain social issues in the society. Examination malpractices have become a social issue in Nigeria educational institutions and it has effect on the society. The general objective of this research study is to explain the causes of examination malpractices in Nigeria educational institutions and the effect on development. The specific objectives are to discover why students are involved in examination malpractices, the effects on the students that are involved in such practices and the effect on the society. The methods of collecting data were quantitative and qualitative while the target respondents were students. Five hundred (500) students were sampled and the quantitative method was analyzed using statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Variables were also cross tabulated in other to provide association and relationship among variables. The qualitative method was analyzed using descriptive analysis. The result shows that students are involved in examination malpractices; it was also revealed that certain factors were responsible for the behavior of the students.