Exploratory Study of Answer changing behaviour in Multiple Choice Test among Science Students in Nigerian setting

Authors: [1] Emmanuel Etta Ekuri [2] Alice Etim

Pages: 84-89

Abstract:

This study provided empirical data on the prevalence of answer changing behaviour among science subjects;and to also find out if there is gender difference in answer changing behaviour in the subjects. The study utilized secondary data, essentially involving responses of students in Mock 2014 Mock, administered in 2014 by the Cross River State Ministry of Education, Calabar. Subject of this study consisted 32 answer scripts (18males and 14 females) in four subjects (Mathematics, Chemistry, Physic and Biology), systematically selected from seven schools that wrote Mock 2014 in Calabar South Local Government, in Nigeria. The Mock examination is considered a standardized test, therefore reliability and validity of the instrument were assumed established by the board. Descriptive analysis (percentages and charts) were used to summarise the result with respect to answer changing behaviour in the four subjects, while chi-square analysis was used to investigate the incidence of answer changing behaviour among four subjects on one hand, and gender difference with respect to answer changing in the four subjects on the other hand. The result indicated that answer changing behaviour occurred in all the four subjects, with the most change in Mathematics and the least change in physics. Also, there was a significant gender difference in answer changing behaviour in mathematics with male students slightly higher than female students. However, there was no significant gender differences in the other three subjects.