Authors : Nina I. Obikudo; Dr. Margaret Kennedy

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/h2rkncnr

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jul004

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Abstract : The prevalence of examination malpractice in secondary and tertiary education continues to threaten academic standards and the credibility of qualifications in Nigeria and beyond. This paper examines how peer influence contributes examination malpractice and explores the moderating role of assertiveness training within counselling frameworks. The specific objectives were to investigate the mechanisms through which peer influence operates, analyse how collective norms reinforce malpractice, and evaluate the role of assertiveness-based counselling interventions in promoting ethical decision-making. The study is anchored in social learning theory, conformity theory, and the theory of planned behaviour, providing a conceptual lens for understanding both individual intentions and social pressures. A qualitative-analytical methodology was adopted, synthesising evidence from contemporary scholarship on peer influence, ethical behaviour, and counselling interventions. Findings indicate that peer modelling, fear of exclusion, and moral disengagement facilitate the normalisation of malpractice, while assertiveness training strengthens self-efficacy, refusal skills, and value-based decision-making, thereby moderating susceptibility to peer pressure. The paper recommends integrating assertiveness modules into school counselling programmes, promoting integrity-focused peer norm reorientation, and reinforcing institutional policies to uphold academic standards and foster graduate competence.

Keywords : Examination Malpractice, Peer Influence, Normalisation of Deviant Behavious, Assertiveness Training, Counselling Intervention.

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