Agboola James Odunayo¹, Obiemeka Eucharia Nkechi^2,

This study sought to investigate the efficacy of self-concept counselling therapy on the reduction of examination malpractices among secondary school students in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. To guide the study, three research questions were raised and their corresponding hypotheses formulated. The research questions were answered while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The design used for the study was a pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group quasi- experimental design used for the study. The population of the study consisted of all the public mixed Senior Secondary II students in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State with counsellors and the sample used for the study comprised 210 students. The instrument for data collection for the study was a questionnaire titled Self-concept and Examination Malpractices Questionnaire (SEMQ), validated by two experts, with reliability index of 0.85. During treatment procedures, the two groups were pretested, the experimental group was exposed to Self-concept therapy while the control group was not exposed to any treatment and after treatment administration, both groups were post tested and the finding, among others, showed that there is a significant difference in the mean rating of examination malpractices between the adolescents in the experimental and control groups after treatment. This showed the efficacy of self-concept counselling therapy used in sensitizing the experimental group. As their self-concept mean score increased, their thoughts and act of examination malpractices drastically and significantly reduced. Based on the findings therefore, it is recommended that counsellors should employ self-concpet therapy to reduce examination malpractices among secondary school students.

self-concept therapy, examination, experimental group, control group and malpractices