Investigation on the factors influencing cheating in national examinations among form four students: a case study of Temeke municipality secondary schools

This study investigated cheating techniques among form four students in national examinations in Temeke Municipality Dar es salaam region based on the four specific objectives. Firstly, to identify causes motivating students to behave dishonestly in the academic exercise. Secondly, to determine whether there is influence from peers that leads students to participate in academic cheating in the national examinations. Thirdly, to investigate teachers’ involvement in academic cheating practice during the national examinations. Fourthly, to assess parents’ views and opinions on academic cheating in form four national examinations in Tanzania.The study was conducted in six secondary schools, including three government schools and three non-government schools. It involved 300 respondents categorized into students, teachers, parents, head of schools and academic masters/mistress sampled through purposive, and stratified random sampling as well as convenience sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and document review. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis while quantitative data were analyzed and presented with the help of SPSS software program 16 version.It was found that cheating in national form four examinations was a regular phenomenon that was perpetuated by individual candidates themselves, teachers, school administration and owners, peers and parents among others. Teachers involved in helping the malpractice due to dissatisfaction with job characterized by low salaries and poor work conditions such as heavy workload, delayed promotion and lack of transport. Parents’ low level of education with consequent low socioeconomic status limited their ability to engage their children fully into regular school attendance instead of income generation. Cooperation among peers was also found to act as a source for peers influencing among themselves to engage in misbehavior during examinations.The study concludes that cheating is perpetuated by different actors including teachers, parents and students with each category being pushed by different reasons but all aimed to fill the performance gap.The study recommends that in order to combat examinations cheating, educational stakeholders such as MoEVT and other beneficiaries need to review the need and use of examinations such as reducing over emphasis on certificate rather than practical skills. More efforts are also required to ensure availability of teaching and learning materials. The government should increase teachers ’salaries and provide various motivations so as to increase teaching morale for the teachers.