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COUNSELLING STUDENTS OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI AGAINST EXAMINATION MALPRACTICEEBIRERI OMOVIGHO RANIUNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI, DEPARTMENT OF CONTINUING EDUCATION AND EXTENSION SERVICESUSER NAME: 75998DHP.O.BOX 5680MAIDUGURI,BORNO STATE.omorae2001@yahoo.comTEL. N0: 076-231971AbstractThis project work is an attempt to examine how counselling could assist students of the faculty of education at the University of Maiduguri to stand against examination malpractice. Accordingly, the Author argued morally on why students of faculty of education should be counselled against examination malpractice. In the study, the purposive non-probability sampling technique was used to pick the subjects based on the rational believed by the author. A detailed discussion on how the students should be counselled was also made. The project laid the base of its results on an earlier research made by Mallum (1983) who found out that a significant difference existed between the life satisfaction of the counselled and non-counselled. Based on the fore going, recommendations were made the faculty of education, the institution and the National Universities Commission as follows.for the faculty of Education at the university of Maiduguri. i. Should request for the employment of more trained, qualified and competent Doctors and professors who have the traits for counselling students to assist the few ones present. ii. Establish a well-equipped students counselling unit for students of the faculty.iii. Encourage more research to be carried out in the area of counselling students on their various problems including examination malpractice. The following recommendations were given for the university of Maiduguri.i. Organize seminar on Examination Ethics at least once in each semester.ii. Employ more trained, competent and qualified Doctors and professors who have the trait for counselling the faculty of Education students on their problems including examination malpractice.iii. Finance the establishment of well-equipped counselling unit at the faculty of education in the institution.iv. Recognize counselling as a veritable tool for fighting against st examination malpractice.The following recommendations were given for the National university commission:i. Assist the faculty and institution to execute recommendations given to them.ii. Organize training for lecturer in the area of guidance and counseling in higher education from time to time.IntroductionStudents’ engagement in examination malpractice constitutes not only a deviant behaviour, but also affects the reliability of examination results issued to candidates who engage in examination malpractice. Thus considering the present state of over-reliance upon examination results today in Nigeria one would note the degree of harm been done to all sectors of the Nigerian Nation; to which the educational sector is no exception. Therefore, considering the fact that if a medical Doctor makes a mistake, the patient dies, if an engineer makes a mistake, the bridge collapse; but if a teacher make a mistake, it affects the unborn generation, showing that while the mistakes of the medical Doctor and engineer have immediate repercussions, that of the teacher is eternal, there is therefore, the need to ensure that the teachers who are on professional training (students of the faculty of education at the various institutions of higher learning) do not engage in examination malpractice to ensure that they are produced as quality (good) teachers. The author of this project, therefore believes that the counselling of students of the faculty of education in this regard at the university of Maiduguri has a great role to play in curbing/ preventing the incidence of examination malpractice among the students of the faculty of education at the university of Maiduguri, and to this regards, decided to pick on the subject matter to write on for submission as his module six project. To get a better insight into the topic therefore, the brief description of the university of Maiduguri, and the faculty of education are given below. The university of Maiduguri was established in July 1975 and it runs academic programmes in remedial, Diplomas (consultancy) Bachelors Degrees, Master Degrees and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The university is known to be a center for academic excellence and this is because the university does a lot and does not relent in her efforts to provide quality education to its students and service to the community. It was in light of this fact therefore, that the university in her area of controlling examination malpractice organized a seminar on examination ethics between (3rd and 4th Sept. 1997) with lot of resource persons who delivered papers at the seminar. The university also has stiff laws on examination malpractice. While the faculty of education is one of the faculties of the university of Maiduguri with the departments of education, continuing education and extension services, physical and Health Education and Library Science under the faculty. Most of the students from this faculty, take teaching subject courses from other departments. In this regard, it is therefore unfortunate that most often when the list of students who commit examination malpractice is pasted for the students involved to appear before the panel in charge of investigation of examination malpractice cases, there are usually names and numbers of students from the faculty of education. Thus the need to counsel students of this faculty against examination malpractice. To this regard therefore, Goldberg (1980; 70) reports the definition of counselling which were formulated by the Chatham conference; as “Counselling is a systematic exploration of self and/or environment by a client with the aid of counsellor to clarify self-understanding and/or environmental alternatives so that behaviour modifications or decisions are made on the basis of greater cognitive and effective understandings”.Akinboye (1984) observes to this regard that counselling needs of individuals arise as a result of challenges posed by internal and external factors. The internal factors concern the physiological changes that are taking place in the individual such as neuro-sensory changes which can affect the eyes, ears, memory and muscular functioning; while the external factors in the environment are those which individuals are faced with as they strive to cope with the demands of their cultural, economic, political and social responsibilities e.g. role conflict.Research Methodology The procedure for selecting the sample in this project study is the purposive non-probability sampling technique in which only the students of the faculty of education at the university of Maiduguri are involved in the study. Thus the project writer deliberately i.e. purposely selected the sample for study and excluded all students who are not students of this faculty. While the rationale for selecting students of the faculty of education at the university of Maiduguri for the study includes:i. Majority of the students in this faculty offer courses in guidance and counselling, hence (I believe) will appreciate counseling services better.ii. As teachers in the making, will soon be required to also offer counseling services to their students.iii. As teachers (in the making) they are supposed to be a model to their students.iv. They would be required in the future to take up the war against deviant behaviours such are examination malpractice.v. Lists presented by the examination malpractice committee over the years have students from the faculty of education included in it to appear before the examination malpractice panel. How to Counsel the StudentsCaffarella (1974; 18-183) identified three levels of counselling students, which includes working with students through the guidance services including reference work, working with instructors and administrators as resource persons, and working as a liaison officer with other groups that work with students and the community in general. Thus, going by Shertzer and stones (1977), guidance services that could be offered to students, includes orientation service of which could be given to students at the point of registration on the ethics of examination in the university as well as punishments for engaging in each form of examination malpractice. Secondly, through information service, students can be provided with information on all that is needed of them in the conduct of examinations. Thirdly through appraisal service, data could be collected, organized and interpreted in light of students’ history and possibilities for engaging in examination malpractice. Sources of information could be family background, medical records, academic records and reports from teachers. Fourthly, the planning, placement and follow-up service; in this regard, the planning service should assist students plan their time and improve their study habits. While placement and follow up service should ensure that those students who engage in examination malpractice should receive some form of “rehabilitative counseling” and follow up the counsellee, to ensure that they do not relapse back into examination malpractice. The second level of counselling given by Caffarella (1974; 18-1883) is exemplified in the seminar on “Examination Ethics” organized by the University of Maiduguri (3rd to 4th September, 1997) in which lecturers and administrators worked together in the area of sponsorship and presenting papers as resource persons. Thus administrators such as Mal. Lawan Bundi (Exams officers) Prof. P.O Ugherughe (then D.V.C Academic Services) and lecturers such as Prof. D.S.M Koroma etc presented papers at the seminar.While the third level, which entails working as a liaison officer with other groups that work with students and the community in general can be made realistic by involving organizations such as the Fellowship of Christian students (F.C.S) and the Muslim Students Society (M.S.S) as well as the Students Union Government (S.U.G) who work with students and the society to counsell the students of the faculty of Education at the University of Maiduguri.ResultsMallum, (1983; 65) found that “A significant difference existed between the life satisfaction of the counselled and non-counselled. Thus considering that the central/functional thrust of counselling is assistance given to individuals to achieve behaviour modification or take decisions on the basis of greater cognitive and affective understandings of self and environment such that they become more effective, more productive members of their society, Balami and Fajonyomi (1997) held the view that “any activity in the learning situation would have implication for guidance and counselling. Still, Balami and Fojonyomi (1997) stated that at present, there is great shortage of counsellors the formal education sector.Recommendations and Conclusion:The following recommendations were given by the author for the faculty of Education at the university of Maiduguri. i. Should request for the employment of more trained, qualified and competent Doctors and professors who have the traits for counselling students to assist the few ones present. ii. Establish a well-equipped students counselling unit for students of the faculty.iii. Encourage more research to be carried out in the area of counselling students on their various problems including examination malpractice. The following recommendations were given for the university of Maiduguri.i. Organize seminar on Examination Ethics at least once in each semester.ii. Employ more trained, competent and qualified Doctors and professors who have the trait for counselling the faculty of Education students on their problems including examination malpractice.iii. Finance the establishment of well-equipped counselling unit at the faculty of education in the institution.iv. Recognize counselling as a veritable tool for fighting against examination malpractice.The following recommendations were given for the National universities commission:i. Assist the faculty and institution to execute recommendations given to them.ii. Organize training for lecturer in the area of guidance and counselling in higher education from time to time. In conclusion, I wish to re-affirm the role that can be played by counselling students of the faculty of education at the university of Maiduguri in curbing examination malpractice as enormous and therefore thank the NUC-VIHEP team for giving me the opportunity to express my thoughts; as I urge them not to relent in their efforts of this great good wok.References:Akinboye, J.O. (1987) Guidance and Counselling Strategies for handling adolescent and youth problems. University Press Ltd. Ibadan; Balami, Y.G and Fajonyomi, M.G. (1997) “Counselling in Adult Education in Nigeria in the twenty-first century; matters arising” in Fajonyomi, A. and Biao (eds) policy issues in adult and community education , Mainasara Publishing Coy; Maiduguri.Caffarella, C. (1994) counselling service for Adult. “Life learning June 13-33. Goldberg, J.C (1980) “counselling the adult learners” A selective Review of the literature, Adult Education Journal of Research and Theory 30 (2) 67-81.Mallum, P.M. (1983)”A study of traditional counseling; itstechniques and effectiveness”. The counsellor; Journal of the counselling Association of Nigeria. Vol. 5 N0 1; 65-72.NUC-VIHEP (2004) “Guidelines on project preparation and submission for module 6” Guidance and Counseling in HigherEducation(htp://www.nucvihep.net/mod6wk4project Guidelines. htm)Shetzer and Stone (1971) in Balami, Y.G. and Fajonyomi M.G (1997) “counselling in Adult Education in Nigeria in the twenty-first century; matters arising” in Fajonyomi, A. and Biao (eds) policy issues in adult and community education; Mainasara Publishing Coy Maiduguri. Posted 1st March 2004