Student and Teacher Views on Cheating in High School: Perceptions, Evaluations, and Decisions

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Education
• Sociology

Background:

• Adolescent academic dishonesty is a prevalent issue.
• Existing models do not fully explain why students cheat despite ethical judgments against it.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a new model explaining adolescent cheating behavior.
• To investigate adolescent perceptions and motivations regarding cheating.
• To explore teacher perspectives and institutional approaches to academic integrity.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted with high school students and teachers in the Western U.S.
• Study 1 involved 85 adolescents reporting on their cheating perceptions, evaluations, and motivations.
• Study 2 included 83 teachers' views and an analysis of course syllabi for academic integrity content.

Main Results:

• Approximately half of adolescents reported unintentional cheating.
• Many students found their own cheating acceptable, but not hypothetical cheating.
• Cheating decisions were influenced by competing pressures and perceived low assignment value.
• Discrepancies were found between teacher and student views on cheating.
• Course syllabi contained minimal information on academic integrity.

Conclusions:

• The findings support a new model of adolescent cheating.
• Understanding adolescent motivations and perceptions is crucial for addressing academic dishonesty.
• Educational institutions need to improve communication and content regarding academic integrity.