How Prevalent are Acts of Academic Dishonesty and Who are the Perpetrators when Cheating is defined by the Student Body?

This study is a mixed method research which attempted to determine the prevalence and correlates of academic cheating when the students are privileged to define which acts would be classified as academically dishonest. The results of the study showed that some of the cheating behaviors identified in the literature are not recognized by students as dishonest. When students define what acts are cheating and what are not, roughly eight (8) out of every 10 students will be considered as having cheated at least once within an academic year. Furthermore, students have an average of six (6) cheating techniques under their disposal, three (3) of which are used in examinations, quizzes, and/or exercises and the other three (3) in papers and/or projects. The study also found that when the student-defined list of cheating behaviors is utilized, cheating is more frequently done in exams, quizzes, and/or exercises than in papers and/or projects. Finally, it was found that cheating have several variables with moderately strong significant correlations and all of these correlates can be appreciated coherently using Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior.

Keywords: Cheating, Planned Behavior, Academic Dishonesty, Prevalence, Correlates