Individual Attitudes to Academic Cheating - Assignment Example

Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This chapter reviews literature that is related to the subject of factors that influence individual attitudes of students towards academic cheating and plagiarism. For purposes of clarity, the literature review chapter is divided into several sections. These are briefly described as follows. The first section is about the different definitions of plagiarism and academic cheating that exist in literature. The second section is about details of the subject of plagiarism among students in institutions of learning. This is followed by a discussion on the factors that make students commit acts of academic cheating and plagiarism. The next section is about the different types of acts of plagiarism and academic cheating that students commit. This is followed by a description of the determinants of plagiarism and academic cheating. Another section will discuss the influence of formative factors on students’ ethical behaviour and their individual attitude towards plagiarism. In the last section, a conceptual framework for the study is presented. 2.2 Plagiarism and Cheating Definitions Simply put, plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct whereby a person presents work in which the intellectual property rights of other people have been violated (Ching, 2013). In practice, individuals who publish their work hold the intellectual property rights to the work. The work may take the form of papers that are published in academic journals, chapters in books or even entire books. Although such material may be used by other researchers and students, it is mandatory for the authorship of the material that has been used to be properly acknowledged (Bennett, 2005). However, when this is not done, the ideas which belong to a different author but are presented in a different work as if they have been developed by another person are considered to have been plagiarised (Hsiao, 2015). In general, plagiarism may be committed by students and even by academic staff members. Plagiarism and academic cheating by students is a crime since it allows a student to abuse intellectual rights of others and get credit for work which belongs to someone else (McGowan, 2009). Similarly, researchers may plagiarise other people’s work and unfairly get credit for ideas which do not belong to them. 2.3 Plagiarism and Cheating by Students In general, plagiarism is widespread in academic institutions, where students are the ones who commit it oftentimes (Park, 2003; Saxe, 1991). According to Passow et al. (2006), the rate of academic cheating and plagiarism by students in institutions of higher learning in the world has been increasing considerably over the recent past. Due to many factors, many students have found it necessary to commit plagiarism or any other form of academic cheating as a way of achieving their academic goals. Tsai (2012) notes that the manner in which students commit plagiarism varies widely. For instance, a student may access a full paper or research work from a different source and present it as his or her own (Tsai, 2012). This is one of the most common cases of academic cheating and plagiarism that is committed by students in institutions of higher learning. In addition to this, students may include in their work information that has been copied from different sources (Evans et al., 2015). Since they do not indicate that the information is not their original work and that it has actually been accessed from a different source, students who do this are guilty of academic cheating and plagiarism. Lastly, students may commit plagiarism by simply failing to properly reference the sources that they use in their work (Evans et al., 2015). 2.4 Reasons for Plagiarism and Cheating Studies indicate that there are many reasons that can make students cheat in their studies (Bennett, 2005). What is important to note is that studies indicate that the reasons as to why students commit plagiarism may arise from the students’ own personality traits, the existence of opportunities to cheat and the general circumstances under which they study (Bennett, 2005). One of the reasons that make it easy for students to commit plagiarism is related to the current situation in which students now have increased access to the Internet (Ching, 2014). This makes it easy for students to easily gather a lot of information from different sources (Ching, 2014). Also, Lee et al. (2014) note that in certain circumstances university lecturers fail to enforce the rules and regulations that have been developed to prevent students from cheating. This creates room for students to engage in practices of plagiarism. On a different note, pressure to pass examinations and achieve highly set goals may also act as a motivating factor for students to engage in acts of plagiarism (Moten, 2014). This may be compounded by fear of failure (Giluk & Postelthwaite, 2015). However, it is worth noting that the behavioural traits of individuals play an important role in determining whether or not the individuals will cheat (Reisenwitz, 2012). 2.5 Types of Plagiarism and Cheating There are different forms of plagiarism and cheating (Park, 2003). One of the most common forms of plagiarism entails failing to acknowledge that information has been accessed from a different source (Park, 2003). In practice, this form of plagiarism is committed when a student uses information from a different source but fails to indicate that the information has been accessed from a different source (Moten, 2014). Another common form of cheating happens when students submit papers that have been bought from organisations that offer research services (Satler, Wiegel & Van Veen, 2015). Similarly, a student may copy a paper that has been done by another student and submit it as their own work. This constitutes a form of academic cheating. In certain instances, plagiarism may arise when a student directly copies material from a different source into their work but fails to indicate that the copied material is a direct quote (Berkowitz, Vincent & McKay, 2001). The student may then make the proper references that are required. However, by failing to indicate that the work is a direct quote, the student creates an impression that the work has been paraphrased. This is also form of cheating. Another form of plagiarism occurs when a student submits a paper which, in reality, has been done by someone else (Tomas et al., 2009). When this happens, the student who submits the work gets all the credit when in truth, the paper was done by someone else. 2.6 Determinants of Plagiarism and Cheating There are several factors that act as determinants of plagiarism and cheating (Talwar & Lee, 2008). One of them is the academic ability of students. It has been found that in general, students who show a relatively high level of academic ability are less likely to cheat than those who demonstrate a low level of academic ability (Whitley Jr., 1998). Second, the academic beliefs of students act as a determinant of whether or not the students may commit academic cheating and plagiarism (Wilkinson, 2009). Academic beliefs of students are formed by the students’ own expectations – whether or not they perceive themselves as being under pressure to perform and their level of studies (Tawar & Lee, 2008). Third, the extent to which students engage in extracurricular activities in the course of their studies is also an important determinant of whether or not the students are likely to cheat (Xu et al., 2009). Another factor that acts as a determinant of cheating and plagiarism among students is demographics (Wilkinson, 2009). Passow et al. (2006) observe that there is a relationship between the age and gender of students and the students’ likelihood of committing plagiarism. In addition to this, it is noted that the socioeconomic status of the students is an important determinant of how likely the students may engage in cheating and plagiarism (Ehrich et al., 2015). Students from relatively poor socioeconomic backgrounds tend to be put under intense pressure to perform in their studies as a result of the expectations that individuals have of them (Heckler & Forde, 2015). 2.7 The Influence of Formative Factors on Students’ Individual Attitude towards Plagiarism and Cheating 2.7.1 Influence of Beliefs Ethical and Behaviour The manner in which ethical beliefs influence the tendency of students to commit plagiarism and cheating can be explained in terms of the ethical principles of relativism and idealism (Reiss & Mitra, 1998). Relativism as an ethical belief refers to the tendency of individuals to rely less on universal principles. On the other hand, under idealism, individuals tend to recognise and adhere to universal principles of ethics. Principles such as honesty and integrity are recognised by individuals who have idealistic ethical beliefs. As such, they seek to act in ways that do not violate such principles. Teodorescu and Andrei (2009) note that the behavioural traits that individuals exhibit are actually shaped by their beliefs. An individual may either seek to justify or condemn an act of plagiarism and cheating depending on the behavioural traits that have been formed over the course of time. Further, individuals who seek to justify plagiarism may not only commit the act, but also condone such acts when the acts are committed by others (Berkowitz & Bier, 2007). Condoning plagiarism in this case may take the form of students not reporting to the authorities their colleagues who engage in acts of plagiarism and academic teaching. Bernardi et al. (2012) observe that individuals’ ethical beliefs and behaviours are highly influenced by the values of their cultures. Cultural values set standards of behaviour for individuals. Individuals tend to behave in ways that help them to meet specific standards and uphold specific cultural values while at the same time avoiding committing actions that are regarded as vices. In this case, certain cultures are defined by the high value that is attached to competitiveness and achievement (Beasly, 2015). Students who are from such cultures tend to experience the pressure to perform and meet specific standards. Such values can influence them into committing plagiarism and academic cheating as a way of meeting the set requirements. 2.7.2 Influence of Teachers or Mentors Teachers, in this case university lecturers, play an important role in influencing the behaviour of students with regard to cheating and plagiarism (Bruton & Childers, 2015). This, according to findings of different studies, occurs in several ways. For instance, it is argued that all universities have in place strict rules against any form of plagiarism and cheating (Berkowitz, 2000). However, for the rules to be effective, university lecturers have to be vigilant and enforce them during their encounter with students (Berkowitz, 2000). What this implies is that the failure of university lecturers to enforce university rules and regulations against plagiarism and cheating provides an opportunity for the vices to thrive in academic institutions (Bruton & Childers, 2015). Another way in which university lecturers play a key role in influencing the occurrence of plagiarism and cheating in institutions of higher learning arises from their duty of conducting and supervising examinations (Beasly, 2015). Through their actions, lecturers can either contribute to the deterrence of cheating and plagiarism or allow the vice to continue among their students. Ching (2014) states that when students realise that those who are caught plagiarising or cheating in academics are not given stiff penalties, they develop the opinion that it is actually possible to cheat and get away with it. This belief makes students to attempt to ‘normalise’ plagiarism and academic cheating as a permissible way of achieving success in their studies. In addition to the way they manage the testing environment and handle cases of plagiarism, teachers can influence the likelihood of students committing acts of plagiarism and academic cheating by creating an environment in which students are under intense pressure to perform (Ching, 2014). 2.7.3 Influence of Education and Reading Culture The circumstances surrounding the education of individuals and their studying habits influence their tendency to commit acts of plagiarism and cheating in their studies (Kuntz & Butler, 2015; Sheared, Markham & Dick, 2003). This happens in several ways. According to Hosny and Fatima (2014), the level of study at which students are affects their tendency to plagiarise. Notably, there is a difference in terms of the tendency to cheat between students who are doing their undergraduate degrees and those who are doing their post-graduate studies (Klocko, 2014). Undergraduate students are said to be more vulnerable to the pressure to cheat in their studies as compared to post-graduate students. The reason that is given for this is that post-graduate students tend to show a higher level of commitment in their studies than undergraduate students. Therefore, undergraduate students are likely to be easily influenced into committing acts of plagiarism and cheating as compared to post-graduate students. The academic history of students is also a factor of significant importance in terms of influencing students to commit plagiarism and cheating (Sheared, Markham & Dick, 2003). Students who committed plagiarism while in high school tend to believe that they can still commit the offence while in college (Ismet, Meral & Robert, 2009). On the other hand, those who did not commit the crime while in high school may not see the need of committing it when in the university. Lastly, it is observed that students who do not perform very well in their academics tend to be vulnerable to the temptation to cheat compared to those who perform well (Ma, McCabe & Liu, 2013). This is the case because average performers feel that they are under intense pressure to perform and achieve their academic goals by all means. Therefore, cheating and plagiarism become a means of achieving their desired ends. 2.7.4 Influence of Sporting Hero, Celebrity or Politician The manner in which politicians, sporting heroes and celebrities influence the attitude of students towards academic cheating and plagiarism occurs as a complex interplay of existing cultural factors and the ethical values of the individuals (Tsai, 2012). In general, celebrities, politicians and sporting heroes influence the ethical beliefs and values of individuals. This may take different forms. For instance, in cultures in which achievement is valued regardless of the means that individuals use to succeed, students may feel that the benefits of succeeding in their examinations far outweigh the dangers that are associated with acts of plagiarism and academic cheating (Park, 2003). Further, the impact of celebrities, sporting heroes and politicians on the attitudes of students towards plagiarism may be manifested through the influence of peers (Park, 2003). In cultures where celebrated individuals do not advocate for high moral standards, students may adopt this attitude in their lives. This may be later demonstrated in their studies in the form of willingness to condone or actually commit acts of plagiarism and academic cheating. 2.7.5 Influence of Religion Religion is an important factor that influences the occurrence of plagiarism and cheating in institutions of higher learning (Khodaie, Moghadamzadeh & Salehi, 2011; Molnar, 2015 & Moten, 2014). The religious beliefs that are held by individuals usually determine their attitudes towards different things. This in turn determines the manner in which they behave under different circumstances. According to Moten (2014), the effect of religious beliefs on the tendency of students to commit plagiarism and academic cheating is widespread. It is observed that instances of plagiarism and academic cheating in universities in Arab countries are slightly lower than what is witnessed in universities in other regions of the world (Khodaie, Moghadamzadeh & Salehi, 2011). The reason that is given is that Islamic teachings are very clear about taking other people’s property and falsely claiming ownership. Since plagiarism is considered a form of theft and falsehood, many students who study in universities in Arab countries tend to avoid committing plagiarism on religious grounds. What is clear from the above observation is that religious teachings shape the beliefs of individuals and their attitudes towards different issues. Oran et al. (2015) state that students who have strong religious feelings tend to condemn plagiarism and are less likely to commit the offence as compared to those who do not have equally strong religious convictions. In addition to this, there appears to be evidence that when students have strong religious feelings, they tend to uphold the values of honesty and integrity (Curtis & Poplar, 2011). This makes it less likely for them to engage in acts of plagiarism and cheating. Further, having strong religious convictions helps students to overcome the temptation to engage in acts of plagiarism that arises from the pressure that students may face from their peers (Eriksson & McGee, 2015). 2.7.6 Effect of Group Influences Peer pressure influences the attitudes of students towards plagiarism and academic cheating (Tsai, 2012). In general, students who have a prior history of cheating in academics tend to carry the vice to institutions of higher learning (Ballantine, Larres & Mulgrew, 2014). By taking advantage of situations that may be prevalent within such institutions, such students are able to successfully commit acts of plagiarism and academic cheating. This has an impact on the attitude of other students who may be vulnerable. The vulnerability of students may arise from the feeling that they are under intense pressure to succeed, the belief that it is only through plagiarism that they can succeed, and the opinion that it is actually possible to get away with plagiarism and cheating (Eriksson & McGee, 2015). 3. Conceptual Framework The purpose of this research is to determine the important formative factors that influence the attitudes of individual students towards plagiarism and academic cheating. The following is a conceptual framework to be used to help the researcher evaluate the important formative factors that influence individual attitudes of students towards plagiarism and cheating. Conclusion The review of literature indicates that academic cheating and plagiarism may take any of the different forms that exist. The severity of the act depends on the form that it takes. Further, although plagiarism may be committed by students and academics, it is prevalent among students in institutions of higher learning. Several factors determine the likelihood of students committing plagiarism. However, the students’ history, whether they engage in co-curricular activities or not and their socioeconomic status are important determinants. Lastly, different formative factors influence the attitude of students towards plagiarism and academic cheating. Factors such as peer group pressure, the teachers, reading practices, celebrities, ethical beliefs, culture and religion shape the attitude of students towards academic cheating and plagiarism. This in turn is manifested in whether or not they are likely to commit acts of plagiarism and academic cheating. 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