Written Exam Cheating and Prevention and Detection Strategies: The Case Of DMU

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating exam cheating focusing on prevalence, methods and reasons for written exam cheating and prevention and detection strategies. To that end, quantitative (on the prevalence, factors and methods of exam cheating) and qualitative (the possible prevention and detection strategies) data were collected adopting a mixed methods sequential explanatory design.  A total of 320 students (60% males, 40% females) responded to the questionnaire while 14 students participated in FGDs. The registrar director was also interviewed. Results indicated that more than 53.75%, of students admitted to cheating in exams. Results also indicated that as student achievement increases from the lower category to the medium, incidences of cheating increases but decreases in the higher achievement category. The three most frequent cheating methods used by students were copying from another student by looking at his/her test paper, using electronic devices like phones as cheat aid and passing notes on which answers to questions are written. The least frequently used cheating methods are distracting invigilators to help others cheat, writing notes on body parts and writing notes on desks. Time pressure to prepare for an exam, hard courses, students own laziness, hard exams and poor invigilators vigilance are reported as the most compelling factors forcing students cheat during written exams. On the other end, cheating to cope with stress of studying, cheating because everybody does it and because of lack of study skills are reported as weak predictors.To prevent exam cheating, an integrated and continuous effort involving cheating prevention (before the exam), cheating detection (during the exam) and cheating data retention-archiving (after the exam) should be instigated by the university. Archiving exam cheating data would help in taking measures and preventing it in the first place. These would create an atmosphere where success by cheating is unlikely and futile.

Keywords: Exam cheating , exam cheating methods, exam cheating prevention& detection strategies

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-7-07

Publication date:March 31^st 2019