PERSONALITY TRAITS AS PREDICTORS OF STUDENTS’ EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated personality traits as predictors of students’ examination 
malpractice in public secondary schools in Cross-River State, Nigeria. To guide this 
study, 3 research questions and 3 null hypotheses were formulated. The study employed 
correlational survey research design. The population of this study comprised 11, 364 
senior secondary two (SS II) students, consisting of 5,530 males 5, 834 females. The 
sample size for the study consisted of 377 senior secondary two (SS II) students of which 
191 are male and 186 are female students. Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2018) criteria 
for a population of about eleven thousand, three hundred and sixty four (11, 364) at a 95 
percent confidence level was used to draw three hundred and seventy seven (377) senior 
secondary two (SS II) students. The sample was drawn using a multi-stage sampling 
procedure. Two types of validity were employed in the study, construct and face validity.  
To determine the reliability coefficient of the instrument Cronbach Alpha was used. 
Simple linear regression was used to answer research questions and regression-test was 
used to test the null hypothesis. All the null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of 
significance. Based on the analysis of data in the study, the following findings emerged: 
openness to experience predicts or accounts for up to 2.4% of students’ examination 
malpractice in secondary schools in Cross River State. Further analysis revealed a 
significant predictive power of openness to experience on students’ examination 
malpractice in public secondary schools in Cross River State; the 8.1% of variation in 
students’ examination malpractice in secondary schools in Cross River State is attributed 
to conscientiousness. Further analysis revealed a significant predictive power of 
conscientiousness on students’ examination malpractice in public secondary schools in 
Cross River State; and extraversion predicts or accounts for up to 1.7% of students’ 
examination malpractice in secondary schools in Cross River State. Further analysis 
revealed a significant predictive power of extraversion on students’ examination 
malpractice in public secondary schools in Cross River State. Recommendation made 
included; schools should incorporate character and personality development programs 
aimed at fostering positive traits such as responsibility, self-discipline, and ethical 
reasoning among students.