RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF ESTEEM AND EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE OF PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ENUGU STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was on the relationship between self-esteem and examination malpractice of public senior secondary schools in Enugu State. The correlation survey design was adopted for the study. Five research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The population of the study was all the public senior secondary schools in Enugu State. The correlation survey design was adopted for the study. Five research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The population of the study was all the (SS II) public senior secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria totalling 10,269. The sample size consisted of about 800 students drawn through simple random sampling techniques. The research instrument was a questionnaire made up of 40 items arranged into three clusters. Cluster one which was adapted from Glopal Swainatha (2016) was a structured instrument used to access the levels of self-esteem of the students. Clusters two and three were research developed instrument used to measure the relationship between Examination malpractice and self-esteem. Research question one was answered using aggregate scores, Research question 2 – 5 were answered using Pearson’s product moment of correlation, while hypothesis (i) was tested using -t- test for correlation. The findings reveal among others that only about 30% of the students from public secondary school in Enugu state were satisfied with their self-esteem, the healthy and high self-esteem correlated negatively with examination malpractices, the low and poor self-esteem correlated highly with examination malpractices. The following recommendations were made, and they include: Parents should step-up in their socialization patterns and styles. Schools should create forums to boast students’ confidence, morning assembly should be re-established in schools, and the Government should seek active collaboration of the mission/moral institutions to help uplift the students’ sense of self.