Student plagiarism in higher education in Vietnam: an empirical study

This paper assesses and compares the prevalence of plagiarism across different student and assignment characteristics at a university in Vietnam, using the similarity index reported by the text-matching software Turnitin as a proxy measure of plagiarism on a sample of 681 student papers. The findings present a level of match higher than reported in earlier studies at universities outside of Vietnam, with an average similarity index of 29.06%. Controlling for the gender and major of the students, the extent of plagiarism is implied to be negatively correlated with the students’ academic performances and with the likelihood of being caught, and positively correlated with the length of the assignments. Thus, this study, relying on actual text-matching data rather than self-reported surveys, provides the first empirical test of two theoretical plagiarism models proposed in the literature. The explanatory factors confirmed by this study illustrate the potential benefits of the use of software tools to detect plagiarism and can help refine academic integrity policy formulations for universities.     

Addressing plagiarism in online programmes at a health sciences university: a case study

Plagiarism continues to be a concern for all educational institutions. To build a solid foundation for high academic standards and best practices at a graduate university, aspects of plagiarism were reviewed to develop better management processes for reducing plagiarism. Specifically, the prevalence of plagiarism and software programmes for detecting plagiarism was investigated. From that information, best practices for responding to plagiarism were developed and a process to enhance academic integrity was instituted. The results were impressive, the incidence of plagiarism offences reduced by half in three years, and by 75% among the English as a second-language student population.     

Internet plagiarism in higher education: tendencies,triggering factors and reasons among teacher candidates

While plagiarism has been a growing problem in higher education for a long time, the use of the Internet has made this increasing problem more unmanageable. In many countries, this problem has become a matter of discussion, and higher education institutions feel obliged to review their policies on academic dishonesty. As part of these efforts, the study aims to examine the tendencies of teacher candidates to plagiarise using the Internet, factors affecting their tendencies and the reasons for plagiarism. In this context, a questionnaire was administered to a total of 386 first- and fourth-grade college students at a college of education. The data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, the Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance. The findings revealed that the teacher candidates had, to some extent, a tendency to plagiarise using the Internet by copying material or using the same assignment in different courses. Gender, department and length of computer use were found to be significant factors affecting their tendencies to plagiarise using the Internet. Time constraints, workload and difficulty of the assignments/projects were indicated as among the major reasons for tendencies towards Internet plagiarism.     

Student and faculty perceptions of plagiarism in health sciences education

Academic misconduct is a problem encountered by many academic programmes, including programmes in the health sciences. The primary purpose of the present study was to assess doctoral student and graduate faculty perceptions of academic misconduct, specifically plagiarism. We used a cross-sectional survey design, and separate surveys were developed for students and faculty. The student survey measured student perceptions of the prevalence of plagiarism among students in general and assessed the occurrence of each student’s plagiaristic behaviours. The faculty survey measured faculty perceptions of the prevalence of plagiarism among students in general and among students in their courses specifically. Two hundred and thirty-eight students and 92 faculty completed the surveys. Students were doctoral health sciences students enrolled in a campus-based, online or hybrid programme. Compared with the self-reported behaviour of students, faculty believed more students were involved with plagiarism. Self-rated knowledge about plagiarism was significantly higher among online students and faculty than among campus-based students and faculty (p<0.001). Both students and faculty believed the most common plagiaristic activity was citing and referencing a full-text source when only the abstract was read, but only a few students reported personally doing this. Additionally, more campus-based students than online students reported working closely with another classmate on an assignment when they were not authorised to do so (p<0.001). In the present study, surveyed students and faculty believed plagiarism was prevalent among the general student population; however, few students self-reported this behaviour.     

Maintaining academic integrity among East African university students

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which academic integrity is maintained in the academic programmes of three East African university students selected from one of the universities in each one of the three countries. For confidentiality and identification purposes, the universities were labeled A, B and C. The level of academic integrity was interpreted on the basis of the extent to which participants admitted to have engaged in plagiarism and academic misconduct in its various manifestations. The findings clearly indicated that academic dishonesty is widely practised by East African university students. The extent to which this held true varied from one item to another of the sixteen questionnaire statements with the highest score being in items related to plagiarism. Overall, 37% of the students in university C, followed by 32% of students in university A and 24% of students in university B engaged in academic dishonesty. The rate at which academic dishonesty was reported was comparable to what has been reported in other countries including Canada, Ethiopia, South Africa, the UK and USA.     

Evaluation of a four-prong anti-plagiarism program and the incidence of plagiarism: a five-year retrospective study

Maintaining academic integrity and preventing students from cheating and plagiarising academic work are challenges faced by higher education institutions. These areas have become even more problematic with the growth of the Internet and readily available information, which increase the temptation for students to copy and paste information directly into academic work. Institutions have turned to various strategies to mitigate these aspects. This retrospective research study examined a four-prong anti-plagiarism programme and its impact on the incidence of plagiarism in a Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy programme. The results showed that, using a combination of a structured education module related to plagiarism, Turnitin plagiarism detection software, implementation of policies and procedures, and support from the institution’s writing centre resulted in significant differences in the rate of plagiarism (P < .001) over the five-year period. The rate of plagiarism in year 1 (0.96%) was 2.7 (95% CI, 1.4–5.3) times the rate in year 5 (0.35%, P = .004). The rates of plagiarism in years 2, 3, and 4 were 0.74, 0.35, and 0.30%, respectively. Using a combination of these strategies may help higher education institutions address episodes of plagiarism and improve academic integrity.     

Faculty and peer influences on academic integrity: college cheating in Romania

The purpose of this research was to examine student perceptions of academic integrity among faculty and peers at a sample of public universities in Romania. The study explores the factors that influence academic dishonesty among college students and compares the relative importance of faculty influences and peer influences on students’ intent to cheat. The study differs from the existing literature on academic integrity in that it examines the degree to which student cheating in college is influenced by the quality and relevance of instruction and the academic dishonesty of instructors and peers.     

Substantive editing as a form of plagiarism among postgraduate students in Australia

In university plagiarism policies, and in the research into plagiarism, one form of collusion remains virtually unacknowledged: substantive editing performed by editors. While almost all Australian universities allow postgraduate students to have their thesis professionally edited, substantive editing is prohibited. This article discusses the problems inherent in this arrangement, given that most students and supervisors, and some editors, are not clear on where the line is between the two. Moreover, it is evident that there are a myriad of social and economic pressures that lead to substantive editing being performed even when all three parties are aware that it is occurring. Substantive editing is a particularly insidious form of plagiarism since it has received so little attention by universities, it is seen as less serious than other forms of plagiarism, it requires high levels of vigilance to detect and there are no deterrents in place. This article argues that there are significant numbers of students engaging in this form of plagiarism. This study aims to shed light on this issue by examining the nature, motivations behind and prevalence of substantive editing, while recognising the social context and negative effects of the issue.     

Situational and Personal Causes of Student Cheating

The causes of students’ academic dishonesty behavior were explored using survey and experimental vignette methods. Participants were surveyed about their own cheating behavior, neutralizing attitudes, performance/mastery orientation and perceptions of peer attitudes and behavior. As predicted, neutralizing attitudes influenced cheating behavior directly, but also indirectly, increasing the effect of individual attitudes. Observing others cheating was strongly correlated with one’s own cheating behavior. These variables are also shown to have different effects on exam cheating and plagiarism and cases of giving and receiving unauthorized information. Correlations were tested using experimental vignette methods, which supported the claims made from survey data.     

Contract cheating in Australian higher education: a comparison of non-university higher education providers and universities

Abstract

This article reports on one aspect of a nationally funded research project on contract cheating in Australian higher education. The project explored students' and educators’ experiences of contract cheating, and the contextual factors that may influence it. This article reports the key findings from non-university higher education providers (NUHEPs). It compares survey responses from 961 students and 91 educators at four NUHEPs with previously reported findings from eight universities (14,086 students and 1,147 staff). NUHEP and university students report engaging in contract cheating in similar ways. However, while NUHEP educators spend more time teaching academic literacies and discussing contract cheating, NUHEP students are 12 times more likely than university students to report use of a professional academic writing service. Both NUHEP and university educators require systematic professional development regarding the relationship between the teaching and learning environment and students’ contract cheating behaviour. NUHEPs need to be cognisant of students’ vulnerability to commercial contract cheating services, and ensure they have access to timely academic and social support.     

省级政府履行高等教育财政责任影响因素的实证分析

我国实行的中央和省两级管理、以省为主的高等教育管理体制,决定了省级政府对高等教育承担着不可推卸的财政责任。文章在描述分析省级政府高等教育财政责任履行现状的基础上,对财政责任的影响因素进行计量分析,并提出了相应的政策建议。     

2005年高校毕业生就业状况的调查分析

对我国东、中、西部16个省份34所高校2005年毕业生就业情况的调查,与2003年的调查结果进行对比分析表明:内因是决定高校毕业生就业竞争力的关键因素;近年来高校毕业生就业效率有所提高;学校提供的求职信息对求职结果和起薪水平都有显著影响;家庭经济条件和社会关系对就业的影响开始凸现;高校毕业生就业市场出现的一些不合理现象值得关注。     

论高等教育自学考试舞弊行为及其防治

随着我国自考事业的蓬勃发展,考试舞弊的问题也日益严重,呈现出手段多样化、动机复杂化、人员广泛化、行为公开化的特点。通过多年的考务工作实践认为:防治考试舞弊应完善考试制度,加大处罚力度,建立责任追究制度,考场内外通力合作,这样才能使舞弊者得到应有的处理,以维护高等教育自学考试的严肃性和权威性。     

中国东中西部高等教育差异变迁的实证分析

Based on the quantitative research and comparative study method, this paper attempts to make a systematic study and analysis of regional differences which have existed since 1949 in higher education among East, Middle and West China. The study is intended to explore the causes, regional differences, social changes, and their co-related interactions. It is concluded that the beneficent social and educational development in various regions will determine the substantial development of Chinese higher education. __________ Translated from Hebei Shifan Daxue Xuebao (Jiaoyu Kexue Ban) 河北师范大学学报(教育科 学版) (Journal of Hebei Normal University (Educational Science Edition)), 2007, 9(2): 5–18     

关于我国高等学校学费标准的实证分析

在公共资助紧约束条件下 ,学费水平确定对高等教育的简单再生产和扩大再生产具有重要影响。当前 ,我国大学学费标准确定应综合考虑学生家庭的支付能力、学校简单再生产和扩大再生产的需要等因素。同时 ,应建立贫困生助学基金、奖学金、助学贷款、校内勤工助学等机制 ,以解决高等教育的公平问题     

成人高等教育规模效益的实证分析——以广东佛山地区为例

提高成人高等教育的办学效益,需要考察成人高校办学规模及教育资源的利用率。文章结合市场经济特征,以广东佛山地区2008年教育统计数据为例进行分析,认为要提高成人高等教育办学效益,必须通过坚持以政府部门主导、市场合理调节和调整教育布局、扩大整体效益来实现。     

Challenging the Assumption of a Western Phenomenon: Academic Entitlement in Saudi Arabia

Academic entitlement (AE) is increasingly associated with problematic behaviors and attitudes, including student incivility and endorsement of cheating. As research on this context-specific form of entitlement increases, no one has yet explored the rates of occurrence outside of North America. To investigate whether students at North American universities are alone in their endorsement of academically entitled beliefs and behaviors, we administered a bidimensional (entitled expectations and externalized responsibility) AE measure to university students in Saudi Arabia and the United States. Contrary to expectations, the Saudi Arabian students, particularly the women, reported on this measure higher levels of AE than the American students. However, in the Saudi sample, academic entitlement was associated with self-esteem and not with narcissism or independent self-construal. While these results challenge the assumptions that AE is an exclusive Western educational phenomenon, they also raise questions about the potentially different meaning of AE in non-Western cultures and the validity and reliability of AE measurement.     

论高等学校的扩招

高等教育由精英化向大众化乃到论过渡,这是高等教育发展的必然趋势,中国的高等教育相对落后,因此扩招是必然之选择,高校扩招对国家、社会、学校、家庭及至个人均有诸多裨益,面对高校扩招所带来的诸多问题与困境,我们要积极地探求解决问题的思路。     

中西宗教文化审美

通过从伦理现实与世俗超越,感性包容与理性独尊,淡然宁静与积极进取等方面对基督教与儒教与道教的分析比较中,可见中国文化注重感性的内在世界,崇尚淡然处世;西方文化注重理性的外在世界,崇尚积极进取,是有其宗教文化的历史渊源的。     

An analysis of ethical considerations in programme design practice

Abstract

Ethical considerations are inherent to programme design decision-making, but not normally explicit. Nonetheless, they influence whose interests are served in a programme and who benefits from it. This paper presents an analysis of ethical considerations made by programme design practitioners in the context of a polytechnic in Aotearoa/New Zealand. It explores the nature of these considerations and explains how they draw on a complex interplay of utilitarian and communitarian discourses. Through this complexity the discourses not only reinforce each other, but also hide the necessity of debate about ethical considerations. The findings from this study offer educators a framework to analyse and become explicit about their own ethical considerations in programme design and the discourses they draw on. This knowledge can help them to improve their practices, as it offers them clarity about what is ‘the right thing to do’ as well as a language with which to engage in debates with others.