ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: A Zero Tolerance Professor and Student Registration Choices

College and university faculty and administrators are responsible for constructing academic honesty policies and communicating them to students. This is often attempted through institutional honesty policies and university-wide honor codes. While these approaches have been widely researched, less attention has been given to the role of individual faculty members. That role is examined in this study by addressing student reactions to professors based on their academic honesty policies. In addition to demographic information, data were gathered about student attitudes and beliefs concerning academic dishonesty and their decision to enroll in or avoid a course being taught by a professor with zero tolerance for academic dishonesty. The findings regarding different instructors’ approaches toward academic dishonesty indicate that an intolerant policy will keep dishonest students away, but at a price—it will also detract many honest students.     

Academic dishonesty in higher education—a nationwide study in Taiwan

Academic dishonesty has been an important issue. However, only few researches had been done in Asian countries, especially a nationwide study. A sample of 2,068 college students throughout Taiwan was selected and surveyed on four domains of academic dishonesty, including: cheating on test, cheating on assignment, plagiarism, and falsifying documents. The major findings of this study were: (1) the prevalence rate for all types of dishonesty behaviors among college students in Taiwan was 61.72%; (2) the top five most practiced academic dishonesty behaviors in Taiwan are provided paper or assignment for another student, gave prohibited help to others on their assignment, copied others’ assignments, passed answers to other students, and copied from other students; (3) students’ attitudes correlated with behaviors in all four domains of academic dishonesty; (4) females reported less acceptable to and behaved less academic dishonesty behaviors than males; and (5) freshmen had more dishonest practices than other class ranks.     

The effects of differential college environments on academic learning and student perceptions of cognitive development

It was the purpose of this study to assess the effects of differential college environments on academic learning and cognitive development by testing Pascarella's theoretical general causal model with longitudinal data from a national database on college students. Secondary analysis of longitudinal data from the 1986 Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) freshman survey and from the 1990 follow-up CIRP survey was conducted to formulate the five clusters of independent variables and two dependent variables as postulated by Pascarella. The final sample was composed of 2,165 students at four-year institutions. The data were analyzed using path analysis. Direct, indirect, and total effects of all variables are reported. Results of the path analyses partially supported Pascarella's theoretical causal model. Findings suggested that student precollege traits, the quality of student effort in academic pursuits during college, and interactions with faculty and peers are more salient influences on learning and student perceptions of cognitive development than institutional characteristics and institutional environment. Based on the findings of the present study, a refined causal model for college student academic and cognitive outcomes is proposed. Recommendations and implications for further study are given.     

Investigating academic dishonesty among Chinese undergraduate students: does gender matter?

The high rate of academic dishonesty reported among Chinese college students has created challenges for practitioners in both domestic and Western universities. Following two contrasting yet complementary scholarly approaches, this study explored the relative importance of predictors indicative of students’ intention to cheat (moral attitude, subjective norm and penalty enforcement) and of their educational preparedness for academic integrity (integrity engagement) in explaining academic dishonesty, with an emphasis on gender differences. We administered a questionnaire survey to a sample of 2009 Chinese undergraduate students. The results indicated that moral attitude and integrity engagement were the major predictors, that subjective norm accounted for marginal variations of academic dishonesty, and that the influence of penalty enforcement was insignificant. Some gender differences on both the mean score and effect levels of the four predictors were revealed. The effects of grade, year and area of study on academic dishonesty (and particularly their joint effects with gender) were noteworthy. These findings are discussed relative to the results of prior studies and the Chinese context.     

Perceptions of the prevalence and seriousness of academic dishonesty in Australian universities

Academic dishonesty is a fundamental issue for the academic integrity of higher education institutions, and one that has lately been gaining increasing media attention. This study reports on a survey of 1206 students and 190 academic staff across four major Queensland universities in relation to student academic misconduct. The aim of the survey was to determine the prevalence of academic misconduct, and to investigate the extent to which perceptions of dishonesty are shared between students and staff, as preliminary steps toward developing effective strategies to deal with the academic dishonesty/misconduct problem. Results indicate a higher tolerance for academic misconduct by students in comparison to staff, particularly with respect to falsification of research results and plagiarism, as well as considerable underestimation by staff of the prevalence of virtually all forms of student academic misconduct. Overall, the study’s findings confirm the significance of the issue of academic dishonesty within the Australian tertiary sector, indicating considerable divergence between students and staff in terms of perceptions of the seriousness and prevalence of student academic misconduct. We suggest that university administrators need to examine this issue closely in order to develop mechanisms for managing and curtailing the level of academic misconduct, since a failure to do so may lead to a further undermining of the academic integrity of the Australian tertiary sector.     

Internet Plagiarism: Developing Strategies to Curb Student Academic Dishonesty

The use of computers has made academic dishonesty easier. Powerful word processing programs allow students to easily “cut and paste” ideas from information they find on the Internet or other electronic media. It is difficult for faculty to document these sources or know whether the information is legitimate. Faculty can learn several techniques for identifying student papers that were plagiarized from the Internet or other technology sources. In addition, faculty can develop approaches to class assignments that minimize students' ability to use Internet sources inappropriately. The purpose of this paper is to explain the changing nature of plagiarism and to provide information that faculty can use to minimize students' academic dishonesty.     

The severity of academic dishonesty: A comparison of faculty and student views

This study considers the severity of academic dishonesty as an important factor in dealing with academic integrity. The results indicate that although faculty generally consider specific dishonest behaviors as more severe than do students, the differences appear to lessen as students progress toward graduation.     

Differential impacts of academic and social experiences on college-related behavioral outcomes across different ethnic and gender groups at four-year institutions

The results of the study indicated that institutional experiences, academic achievement, and environmental pull factors contributed the most to persistence decisions. Furthermore, analyses revealed that differences in the effects of these factors for different ethnic and gender groups were important in explaining persistence decisions. No precollege factors (educational aspirations, prior academic achievement, attitudes toward learning, and support and encouragement to attend college) were found to improve the overall fit of the models for any of the groups in the study. For minorities, the biggest detrimental effects on dropout behavior were derived from pull factors in the form of family responsibilities and working off-campus. No significant positive effects from informal and formal interactions with faculty, close personal relationships with peers, and academic experiences during their first year in college were found to negate the large negative influences from the pull factors. For females, the most significant positive effect on college persistence came from mentoring experiences in the form of nonclassroom interactions with faculty.     

Comparative Analysis of Institutional Policy Definitions of Plagiarism: A Pan-Canadian University Study

This article shares the findings of a study investigating institutional policy definitions of plagiarism at twenty English-speaking Canadian universities. The types of primary sources consulted for this study included: (1) university academic calendars for 2016–2017, (2) institutional policies on academic misconduct, and (3) student academic codes of conduct. Sources were analyzed in comparative tabular and narrative form. Results show wide variation in institutional definitions of plagiarism as a specific subset of academic misconduct. The conclusions call for a coordinated effort among Canadian universities to develop a common framework of academic integrity that includes clear and explicit definitions for plagiarism, as well as other forms of academic dishonesty, that are consistent across provinces.     

剑桥大学诚信教育体系探析

诚信教育在推动时代发展和创新人才培养过程中发挥着巨大作用。剑桥大学诚信教育继承英国高等教育的道德教育传统,其诚信教育的目标是规训学生诚信意识和规避学生失信行为。为此,剑桥大学构建了一套横纵交融的学生诚信教育体系,即"行为诚信教育-考试诚信教育-学术诚信教育"横向的诚信教育内容体系和"入学登记-学业过程-离校教育"纵向的诚信教育管理体系。剑桥大学诚信教育对于推进我国高校学生诚信教育具有重要借鉴意义。     

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: CHEATING AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Cheating in community colleges is not uncommon and is one of the most unfortunate problems faculty and administrators attempt to solve. As the focus of community colleges shifts from teaching to learning, it is important to study the more unpleasant issues facing the community college family. This article defines and identifies attitudes and situations that encourage academic dishonesty. It further discusses strategies for prevention of academic dishonesty, offers suggestions on how to discourage the practice, and advances recommendations for dealing with cheating. Also included is an inventory of sources about "paper mills," and a listing of cybercheating preventive and investigative software programs.     

Exploring Latino/a college students’ transition experiences: An ethnography of social preparedness and familial support

This ethnographic case study examined first-year, first-generation, low-income Latino/a college students’ social experiences and familial support during their transition from a charter high school to four-year universities. Through interviews and observations, we found that maintaining communication and building relationships among high school and college peers, high school faculty and staff, and college professors were essential to navigating the educational system; also, having a family that supported their academic work to allow students to only focus on their coursework was important.     

Honor Codes and Other Contextual Influences on Academic Integrity: A Replication and Extension to Modified Honor Code Settings

Research has shown that traditional academic honor codes are generally associated with lower levels of student academic dishonesty. Utilizing data obtained from students at 21 colleges and universities, this study investigated the influence of modified honor codes, an alternative to traditional honor codes, that is gaining popularity on larger campuses. It also tested the model of student academic dishonesty previously suggested by McCabe and Treviño in a more diverse sample of campuses. Results suggest that modified honor codes are associated with lower levels of student dishonesty and that the McCabe and Treviño model appears to be reasonably robust.     

The Influences of Faculty on Undergraduate Student Participation in Research and Creative Activities

Using data collected from surveys of college juniors and seniors and faculty members in related academic departments, this study examined whether faculty teaching and research orientations, as well as faculty external funding, had any impact on undergraduate student participation in research and creative activities. The results of the study indicated that faculty research orientation and external funding were indeed positively related to student participation in research activities. However, faculty members’ teaching orientation was not significant. Further analyses indicated that faculty teaching and research orientations had different impacts on a range of research and creative activities by undergraduate students. The findings from this study provide insight on ways of improving college teaching and learning as well as informing the development of institutional academic policies related to faculty and undergraduate education. Shouping Hu is Associate Professor of Higher Education at Florida State University. He received his M.S. degree in Economics and Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University. His research and scholarship focus on college access and success, student engagement, and higher education policy. Kathyrine Scheuch is the Deputy Director of Research and Evaluation in the Division of Community Colleges, Florida Department of Education. She received her Ed.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University. Her research interests include undergraduate research activities and minority student issues. Joy Gaston Gayles is Associate Professor of Higher Education at North Carolina State University. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Ohio State University. Her research interests include the college student experience and its impact on student development and learning.     

BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC SELF-CONFIDENCE AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AMONG GRADUATE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS

This study uses data from the 1995-96 Graduate Experience Project to explore differences among, and possible predictors of, academic self-confidence, academic self-efficacy, and outcome expectations of entering graduate students in science and engineering. The results suggest that at time of entry, women and U.S. minority graduate students entered with similar academic credentials and academic expectations as their Anglo male peers. Further, gender was not found to be a significant factor in predicting academic self-confidence, academic self-efficacy, or careerrelated outcome expectations. Rather, student perceptions of academic preparedness, status-related disadvantages, and expectations about faculty/student interactions emerged as significant predictors of academic self-efficacy and career-related outcome expectations.     

“Is that paper really due today?”: differences in first-generation and traditional college students’ understandings of faculty expectations

Success in college is not simply a matter of students demonstrating academic ability. In addition, students must master the “college student” role in order to understand instructors’ expectations and apply their academic skills effectively to those expectations. This article uses data from focus groups to examine the fit between university faculty members’ expectations and students’ understanding of those expectations. Parallel discussions among groups of faculty and groups of students highlight important differences regarding issues of time management and specific aspects of coursework. We find definite incongruities between faculty and student perspectives and identify differences between traditional and first-generation college students. We argue that variations in cultural capital, based on parents’ educational experiences, correspond to important differences in each group’s mastery of the student role and, thus, their ability to respond to faculty expectations. The conclusion discusses the theoretical and practical implications of considering role mastery a form of cultural capital.     

Gender,student perceptions,institutional commitments and academic dishonesty: who reports in academic dishonesty cases?

The academic dishonesty literature generally focuses on the causes of academic dishonesty, and outlines deterrence strategies, as well as the punishment methods used in formal sanction. Student self-monitoring techniques are becoming a more visible alternative that places greater emphasis on proactive prevention methods as opposed to reactive punishment policies. Increasing the formal level of student responsibility in deterring academic dishonesty assumes that students will actively monitor the behavior of their classmates. Our findings indicate that student perceptions of campus climate and gender differences are important factors when explaining student reporting of suspected academic dishonesty and may illustrate important prerequisite conditions that must exist prior to the establish of a successful student self-monitoring programme.     

Faculty responses to academic dishonesty: The influence of student honor codes

Cheating among college students has generally been studied from a student perspective. The research discussed here looks at student cheating from a faculty perspective. Utilizing the responses of 789 faculty members at 16 institutions located throughout the United States, it examines typical faculty responses to incidents of student cheating and how the presence of a student honor code influences faculty responses. These findings are compared to student perspectives on how faculty address incidents of cheating using data collected from over 3,000 students at the same 16 institutions in an earlier phase of this research project.     

美国大学生的学术不诚信及其防范措施

研究大学生学术诚信有助于净化学术环境,提高学术质量。对美国大学生学术不诚信问题的研究发现,美国大学生学术不诚信较为严重,表现形式多样,其中有主观无知而陷入学术不诚信,更有为达到自己的目的而明知故犯的学术不诚信。美国高校为此采取了一系列措施:从大学新生开始进行学术诚信教育,开展多种形式的宣传教育活动,制定学术荣誉制度,建立打击学术不诚信网站,应用网络新技术加强监管,建立专门的学术诚信委员会。     

Academic Dishonesty in the Middle East: Individual and Contextual Factors

Little work has been done on academic dishonesty in the Middle East. This research investigates the nature of the relationship between contextual factors and academic dishonesty using a sample from three private universities in Lebanon, and compares the results to a sample from seven large universities in the US. Using the basic model of McCabe et al. (Research in Higher Education 43(3):357–378, 2002), we found additional evidence for the strong role perception of peers’ behavior plays in understanding student decisions concerning academic integrity. Cross cultural comparisons of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding academic dishonesty were pivotal in this research. Our results support the view that Lebanese university students are strongly influenced by the norms of the collectivist society in which they are raised as compared to the more individualistic society found in the United States.