Understanding Adolescents' Moral Stance on Examination Malpractice through the Lenses of Parenting Styles, Test Anxiety, and Their Academic Self-Efficacy

Introduction: The increasing complex nature of academic dishonesty demands that empirical models are built to explain the psychosocial and motivational variables involved in the way examination malpractice is morally viewed by adolescents. This has been underexplored in Nigeria over the years given that available studies have not utilized designs that could give comprehensive understanding of pathways through which moral views of adolescents on examination malpractice could be predicted. Method: This study developed an empirical model using path analysis to explain the direct and indirect effects of parenting styles, test anxiety, academic self-efficacy on adolescents' moral stance on examination malpractice scenarios. The multivariate predictor correlational research design was adopted. Dimensions of the parenting styles served as exogeneous variables while test anxiety, self-efficacy and moral stance on examination malpractice served as endogenous variables with test anxiety and self-efficacy serving as mediators. The sample size was made up of 741 senior secondary school students, classes one (SS1) from 15 secondary schools located in southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Results: Findings showed, among others, that the final hypothesized model fit the data satisfactorily and that permissive parenting style and test anxiety significantly and positively predicted adolescents' amoral stance on examination malpractice while authoritative parenting negatively predicted their amoral stance on examination malpractice. Permissive parenting style had both direct and indirect significant effects on adolescents' moral stance on examination malpractice. Discussion and Conclusion: Discussion was based on the findings resulting to the conclusion that inappropriate parenting style and problematic psychological dispositions are factors that could influence the moral views of adolescents. For appropriate intervention to be mounted for students, there is the need to incorporate how adolescents are trained by their parents.