The present study examined the prevalence, determinants, techniques, and prevention strategies of academic dishonesty. 594 college students were sampled from a elementary school teachers college, and a secondary school teachers college, humanities, an...
The present study examined the prevalence, determinants, techniques, and prevention strategies of academic dishonesty. 594 college students were sampled from a elementary school teachers college, and a secondary school teachers college, humanities, and natural science college in a comprehensive university, all of whom were sophomore and junior. They anonymously completed the questionnaire about why, who, and how they cheated, how they perceived academic misconduct, how to prevent, and the inventories of Attribution scale and Type/B scale in order to test dispositional determinants of cheating. The results were as follows: ① Over half of the surveyed admitted they had engaged in various forms of academic dishonesty. ② Teachers college students did less than the other majors. ③ Male cheated more than female students, and perceived academic misconduct less seriously. ④ Natural science students cheated more than teachers college and humanities students. ⑤ Protestant students engaged in academic misconduct less than no-religion students. ⑥ No difference was found in cheating between sophomore and junior classes. ⑦ The most frequent techniques were writing answer on the desk top or wall, using crib, and looking other student`s answer in order. Others were trading papers, plagiarizing, etc. ⑧ Locus of control was not relevant to cheating, but scores on Type/B scale was related to it. Hot-tempered students on Type A/B scale cheated more than the others. ⑨ Punishments after being caught cheating were few. Substantial students reported they never saw being caught cheating. ⑩ Providing academic code, students` moral value, and intense proctor were recommended as preventing strategies.