Contemporary Drdavis 7

CONTEMPORARY_DRDAVIS 7

Cheating:

A Contemporary Issue

Deborah Davis

EDUC 740-D04: Leadership Principles and Ethics

Dr. Araceli G. Montoya

August 3, 2014

Abstract

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:1, KJV)”

Whether false witness in interpreted as lying, or restricted to an “under oath” interpretation, there can be no doubt that this commandment does not intend a lack of integrity to be a favorable act. There is a sense of community in the Bible, references to one’s neighbor are thick. The command that

Thou shalt love the Lord the God with all thy heart, and with all the soul, and with all thy mind and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (MK 12:30-31, KJV).

shows us the importance of integrity. For Jesus told us specifically that He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (JN 14:6, KJV). Jesus is truth; God is light personified; the Bible is clear about the importance of integrity. “He that walketh upright walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known” (PR10:9. KJV). Walking upright is a reflection of integrity. It is from this concept that the adages and idioms related to hanging one’s head with shame must be derived. As a society, the people of the world should be ashamed, for society has become a place where integrity is alien, and the classroom has become a place where cheating is rampant.

Cheating: A Contemporary Issue

“Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool” (Proverbs 19:1, KJV).

In the Beginning

“In the beginning God . . .” (Genesis 1:1, KJV), and everything else came from this. In the same way that darkness is the absence of light, and cold is the absence of heat, evil is the absence of good. Integrity is a reflection of light, for it is good. Any form of dishonesty is, therefore, a lack of light. It has been said that “character is the action taken when no one is watching.” The response to this is that “God is watching. Always.” The question then arises as to why the children of our world, the students of our schools, and even the adults in academia think that it is acceptable to cheat. To plagiarize, to lie, to put forth another’s work without credit, to make up tales of why work is incomplete, all are forms of cheating.

The Bible is clear about the importance of integrity. Yet, “Academic dishonesty is common among American university students” (Spear & Miller, 2012). In Columbus, Ohio, educators are being dismissed because of administratively dis-enrolling and re-enrolling students to avoid bad scores on state-wide testing (Smith-Richards & Bush, 2014). In Corona del Mar, California, an ethic consultant was hired after student spent a full year breaking into the school to gather test answers prior to testing (Fry, 2014). Students and their educators seem to think that the ends justified the means, and that the lies inherent in cheating are irrelevant to the scores gained and displayed. It would seem obvious that “the integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3, KJV). The integrity of the educational leadership in these situations appears to be sadly lacking. While there is honesty in academia, it is the dishonesty that shows the travesty of our immoral world.

Straight Talk, Straight Walk

“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31, KJV).

When is it wrong to do the right thing? When is it right to do the wrong thing? In many moral dilemmas, the lines are vague, shady, perhaps even dotted. Those who believe that right and wrong are absolutes have never tried to rush a dying friend to the hospital and been stuck at a red light in the middle of the night with no traffic. It has been said, “There is no black and white, just 256 shades of grey!” It is hard to stand up against evil, and apparently, in the school system evil has triumphed over good. “Students may tell themselves that exams are unfair, everybody else is cheating, the workload for the course was too heavy, they desperately need a good grade on this test, and so on” (Spear & Miller, 2012). Spear and Miller (2012) cite Rettinger and Kramer (2009) in saying “Most students understand at some level that cheating is against university rules, but they nevertheless look to other students to determine the norms of their environment.” So, if students are looking to other students and to their teachers for guidance and those other students and teachers are also cheating, then the obvious syllogism leads to the conclusion that the students seeking guidance will also cheat. The educators need to take to heart the advice given in Luke 6, and “do likewise” as they would have the students do. They need to start by walking the path of integrity themselves.

Academic Focus

“Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly” (Hebrews 13:18, KJV).

Some schools have instilled honor codes in an aid to curb the environment of cheating, plagiarism, and other inappropriate of dishonorable conduct. In an effort to understand the impact of such, one study reviewed over 5000 students in an online survey situation to understand the prevalence of cheating and the severity of cheating (Burrus, Jones, Sackley, & Walker, 2013). This anonymous survey also asked questions about the vigilance of the faculty in identifying, confronting, and following through with consequences on cheating behaviors. Consistent with other studies, 59% of respondents admitted to some form of cheating. Student cheating in this study was presented as two-fold: determining to cheat, and how often to cheat. One of the problems dealt with determining what is cheating behavior.

Hosny and Fatima (2014) defines academic dishonesty as “the students’ use of illegal activities techniques and forms of fraud during their examination or evaluation processes, usually for the purpose of achieving better grades” (p. 748). The increase in cheating may be attributed to the ease of copying or colluding through electronic media (ibid), but honor boards created by students seem to be more effective than faculty overwatch at curbing it (Burrus, Jones, Sackley & Walker, 2014, p. 56). Academic policies and integrity tutorials are presented with the best of intentions, but electronic opportunities still lead to easy plagiarism and difficulty in detection despite the plethora of plagiarism-catching programs (Jones, 2011, p. 142). If cheating, plagiarism, and collusion are all part and parcel of academic dishonestly, and appropriate vigilance on the part of students and teachers does not curb the issue, then there must be something more fundamentally wrong.

Trending

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10, KJV).

Jones (2011) posits that “The alignment between academic dishonesty and workplace ethics is unquestionable” (p. 142). “Students who cheat in school will cheat in the workplace” (Smith & Smith, 2012, p. 212). Further, Bernardi, Banzhoff, Martine, and Savasta (2012) find “prior cheating behaviour associates with future intentions of cheating” (p. 259). These same researchers found that vigilance can instill a sense of academic integrity to break, what they call, the “cheating chain.” So, heading down the path of dishonesty will only snowball the dishonesty, where staying on the path of integrity will only expand the notions of integrity. Given the findings from these studies, it is even more critical that academic dishonesty be halted and the “cheating chain” broken as early as possible in academia.

Spear and Miller (2012) present that a moral component added to “attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control” (p. 197) substantially aided in the reduction of cheating behaviors. The reason for this is what they term “neutralizing attitudes.” Justifying the dishonesty as somehow necessary fosters an acceptance of what the students know is simply wrong behavior. When institutions and instructors emphasize community and responsibility, neutralization becomes difficult (ibid, p. 198). “With respect to academic dishonesty, instructors who make moral appeals to students not to cheat can raise to student consciousness the dissonance between students’ moral beliefs about cheating and their cheating behavior” (ibid, p, 199). Believing instructors to be uncaring of the value of integrity leads to indifference for the students. Fear of a negative consequence can, however, be an effective method to thwart dishonesty, but requires the student to believe the threat is valid and the consequence is actual, not just theoretical. Students can, however choose to cheat in an atmosphere that does not condone nor sanctify academic dishonesty. Bernardi, Barzhoff, Martime and Savasta (2012) found that it would take a semester to change cheating behaviors (p. 260). While some people will always try to find a way they perceive as easier than simple hard work, students are less likely to attempt dishonest behaviors if they believe that such dishonesty is morally wrong, they will be caught, and there will be a consequence.

Conclusion

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, KJV).

Spear and Miller (2012) conclude “Instructors hold a frontline position in the battle for academic integrity” (p. 205). Ignorance, lack of care, or indifference to student learning can be facets lending students toward academic dishonesty (Hall, 2011, p. 180). Every article on the subject points out posting integrity regulations in the syllabi is a critical step toward avoiding academic dishonesty. However, it is not enough. Teamwork amongst students that, if not properly credited, will allow for a grade of zero for the entire team aids students in policing themselves. In the long run, giving more attention to the moral characteristics of the students will have lasting results (Hosny & Fatima, 2014, p. 751). Burrus, Jones, Sackley, and Walker (2013) conclude, “A culture of honesty is all about the students” (p. 57). “With proper instruction and role modeling, students can learn the difference between right and wrong” (Jones, 2011, p. 149). Smith & Smith (2012) remind us “A culture that breeds success during years of formal education is maintained into one’s professional life” (p. 212).

Cheating is a problem – not just and academic problem, but a cultural problem. Looking at another’s paper, copying someone’s work, deceit at business, and adultery are all forms of cheating. This society has become a culture of lazy cheaters. These people are willing to forfeit the value of their own integrity for a few grade points, some extra cash, or some transitory pleasure. In the long run, they will be the poorer for it, the grades will mean nothing, the cash will go away, and the family they loved will despise them.

The Lord says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2Chronicles 7:14, KJV). He can heal our land, and our communities, and our classrooms, and our families. We must turn to him for strength, for guidance, and for forgiveness.

References

Bernardi, R. A., Banzhoff, C. A., Martino, A. M., & Savasta, K. J. (2012). Challenges to academic integrity: Identifying the factors associated with the cheating chain.Accounting Education,21(3), 247-263. doi:10.1080/09639284.2011.598719

Burrus Jr., R. T., Jones, A. T., Sackley, B., & Walker, M. (2013). It’s the students, stupid: How perceptions of student reporting impact cheating. American Economist,58(1), 51-59.

Fry, H. (2014, June 11). District hires ethics consultant in wake of cheating scandal. Daily Pilot (Costa Mesa, CA).

Hall, S. (2011). Is It Happening? How to Avoid the Deleterious Effects of Plagiarism and Cheating in Your Courses. Business Communication Quarterly,74(2), 179-182. doi:10.1177/1080569911404057

Hosny, M., & Fatima, S. (2014). Attitude of students towards cheating and plagiarism: University case study.Journal of Applied Sciences,14(8), 748-757. doi:10.3923/jas.2014.748.757

Jones, D. R. (2011). Academic dishonesty: Are more students cheating?.Business Communication Quarterly,74(2), 141-150. doi:10.1177/1080569911404059

Smith, K. J., & Smith, M. (2012). Academic dishonesty—Cheating behaviour and other forms of inappropriate conduct. Accounting Education,21(3), 211-213. doi:10.1080/09639284.2012.692518

Smith-Richards, J., & Bush, B. (2014, June 25). State aims at dozens of Columbus educators’ licenses. <i>The Columbus Dispatch</i>.

Spear, J. and Miller A. (2012). The effects of instructor fear appeals and moral appeals on cheating-related attitudes and behavior of university students.Ethics & Behavior,22(3), 196-207.