Rationale

Introduction

As the Philippines implemented the new educational system which is the K-12

Curriculum that introduced the Senior High School department. The curriculum added two more

study years which is the 11th and 12th grade for students before they can take up the tertiary level.

However, cheating can still be observed in the additional levels and it is recognized as common

among all students in all levels. Researchers are encouraged to look for reasons as well as

solutions on why do students cheat because the rate of cheating badly increased among students

as their study years also increased.

Cheating is an issue that should be focused specially among Senior High School students

as they are preparing to step into tertiary level. The K-12 Curriculum was implemented as it can

help shape and enhance the skills of the high school students before they will step up into the

higher level. Cheating in school is called academic dishonesty. There are types of academic

dishonesty according to D.StuberMcEwen (2009). This includes fabrication, plagiarism,

multiple submissions and abuse of academic materials, deception and misinterpretation,

electronic dishonesty and carelessness.

. In process of doing the study, researchers are expected to pinpoint what are the factors that

enact students to cheat. We are going to conduct this study in University of Cebu Lapulapu and

Mandaue Campus located at A.C Cortes Avenue Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, Cebu

Philippines 6014. Aligned with the vision and mission of the University, the school must produce

excellent students that are shaped by the excellent educators but one of the hindrance of the

vision and mission is “cheating” as it cannot help and improve students as they are studying.

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Instead, it destroys the determination and the ability of the students to learn new things since

they are already depending to others and not one their selves.

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 THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

General Problem:

The main goal of this study is to identify what are the circumstances that leads the SHS STEM

students to cheat. The result and findings of this research will have a big contribution to the SHS

community and may present actions that may help students to revoke cheating.

Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

1.What arethe student’s perspective in academic cheating?

a. How do students feel every time they cheat?

2.What are the reasons that impel students to cheat?

3.Base on the findings what interventions may be proposed to address this problem?

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Theoretical Background

Our research is anchored with the following theories that supported our study in finding the

factors that leads students to cheat.

The Theory of Motivated Cheating

The theory postulates that students may cheat when they do not know an answer. With

probability k, an ”observer” is unsure of an answer will copy from a nearby “target” with

probability c/ Thus, the undesirable feature of this theory of cheating. Predictions are derived,

and estimated of k and c are proposed. Statistically large values of c suggest that an observer was

copying from a target. High value of c for both the observer and the target suggest collusion. The

theory is applied to a 40-item five choice-test taken by students in an introductory psychology

section. The presence of the phenomenon of academic dishonesty is unquestionable in all

cultures; what differ are its scope, as well as the altitude it encounters and the penalties it results

in. (Bblachinio and Weremko,2011)Murdock et al. (2001) reported a boost in cheating over the

last decades, alongside with diminished trend in students perceived severity of dishonest

behaviour.

Cheating behaviours may be considered a form of academic dishonesty, it is away to present

others’ academic work as ones’ own interfering with the learning and the evaluation process, a

fraudulent means of achieving grades, being accompanied by the risk of detection and

punishment. (Jensen et al., 2002).Academic cheating is a phenomenon present also at all levels

of education in Kenya and generally treated with considerable leniency on the part of the faculty

and administration. Additionally, it appears that although most students (92%) believe that

cheating is not ethical, almost half (45%) believe it to be socially-acceptable. Further, several

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authors suggest in unethical behaviours in their subsequent work life. . The challenge holds

especially true for engineering faculty whose students are future members of a profession for

whom the public holds exceedingly-high expectations of professionalism, integrity and high-

moral values. (Saat,2012)

For many students, the college degree is perceived to be a “passport” needed to enter the alluring

middle or upper class lifestyle; and the pressures to succeed may lead to academically-dishonest

behaviours when this target is put at risk. (Farnesea,2011)

Social Learning Theory

Suggests that human behaviour is learned as individuals interact environment. Problem-

behaviour is maintained by positive or negative reinforcement; Cognitive behavioural remedy

looks at what role thought play in maintaining the problem. Emphasis is on changing

dysfunctional thoughts which influence behaviour; and methods which stem this theory as

gradual shaping of behaviour through positive and negative reinforcement, modelling, stress

management, bio-feedback, relaxation-techniques, cognitive- restructuring, imagery and

systematic desensitization. This theory supported our research, as it explains that humans are

influenced by their environment, with this theory we can assume that students may enact

cheating due to the influence of others. It explains that a human behaviour can be easily

influence by others in which cheating included

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Significance of the Study

The following are expected to be the beneficiaries of this research:

Students. This research is beneficial to students because it will help them to boost their study

habits and will not be depending anymore to their classmates for answers.

Researchers. Researchers can benefit to this study by identifying and knowing the

circumstances that lead students to cheat. Researchers will also benefit to this study as it will be

their means to contribute some idea to the future researchers.

Parents. This research study can be an aid to the parents whereas they can find the factors that

leads their children to cheat and at some point present actions to help students to revoke

cheating. Thus, making their children more productive and hardworking.

Instructors. The research study can contribute to teaching-professionals to discover another

educational approach that may apply to students. Being aware to the factors why do students

cheat, they may change or think another teaching style they will use so that students can no

longer cheat.

Future Researchers. This research study can be beneficial to the future researchers for they can

get ideas that can support their research. Also, give them prior knowledge and contribute facts

that supports for future and further studies of this research.

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Scope and Delimitations

This study will be conducted in University of Cebu Lapu-lapu and Mandaue Campus (UCLM)

located at A.C Cortes Ave. Looc, Mandaue City, Philippines. The target respondents are part of

Senior High School Department from Science and Technology Engineering Mathematics

(STEM) strand.

The study will discuss the factors that lead SHS STEM students to cheat from the views and

perspective of the selected UCLM student respondents under STEM strand. The study will focus

on cheating such as copying of assignment and project contents, altering of scores after checking

and copying of answers examinations and quizzes The study didn’t include these form of

cheating: altering of answers post checking and conspiracy and leak of answers during

examinations.

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Definition of Terms

Academic dishonesty- This refers to any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal

academic exercise.

Plagiarism- This refers to the adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, or statements of another

person without due acknowledgement.

K to12 curriculum- This refers to the new educational system that is implemented to provide

sufficient time for master of concept and skill and develop lifelong learners.

STEM- This refers to the particular strand in which the respondents take place.

Cheating- This refers to an act of dishonesty in order to gain advantage, especially in

examination.

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 CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

The literature review of the study, addressing cheating, includes varies

scopes to be discussed in order to understand the problem more about

academic cheating. In this chapter, varied definitions of cheating and other

forms of academic dishonesty were discussed from different authors.

Bob Roth (2011) pointed out that, “Cheating in College Can Ruin Your

Life”. Cheating has been an inevitable and a common undying impediment

among schools and universities. McCabe (1992) surveyed a sample of 6,097

students and found out that 67% of the target sample admitted cheating.

Cheating, as a form of academic dishonesty, had become a widespread culture

among students in either private or public institutions. Among college students,

percentage of cheating ranges from 9% (Davis et al., 1992) to 95% (McCabe &

Trevino, 2002). Symaco and Marcelo (2003) pointed out that academic cheating

is an unceasing problem despite of the efforts the institution put to get rid of

it.

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 Weaver, Davis, Look, Buzzanga and Neal (1991, p. 302) defined academic

cheating as “a violation of an institutions policy on honesty”. William L.Kibler

defined academic dishonesty as “forms of cheating and plagiarism that involves

students giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in an academic exercise or

receiving credit for work that is not their own. Burke (1999) said that cheating

is “intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information,

or study aids in any academic exercise”, and plagiarism is “intentionally or

knowingly representing the word of another as one’s own academic exercise”.

Gender influences perception of students in academic dishonesty for men

generally reported having higher percentage of cheating than women (Aiken,

1991; McCabe et al., 2002) Women cheat when it is an opportunity to help

another student whereas, men is for personal advantage (Calabrese & Cochran,

1989). Grade point average (GPA) is also linked to academic dishonesty.

Students with lower GPAs are more likely to cheat than those who have higher

(Bunn, Caudill& Gropper, 1992), it is because they have “less to lose and

more to gain” (Leming, 1980). A study on the teacher fairness showed that

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25% of the students are more likely to cheat if the teacher is being unfair

(Graham et al., 1994). Students havedeveloped new techniques of cheating

(Johnson & Martin, 2005) though old techniques were still used in time.

Academic dishonesty includes in lying, cheating on exams, copying of test

responses from a classmate, taking exams for other people, altering or forging

documents, buying papers, plagiarism, altering research results and making up

sources and failure to cite other people’s work, breaking into the office to

access test or answer key and a lot more (Arent, 1991; Moore, 1998; Paacker,

1990; Pratt& McLaughlin, 1989; Petress, 2003).Davis (2009) stated “the main

task of an institution is not to detect cheaters, but rather create an

environment where academic dishonesty is socially unacceptable”.

Possible Factors that could have been influenced the learners to cheat:

1. Lack of self-esteem

2. Product of Laziness

3. Grade Pressure

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 1. Lack of self-esteem

Dishonesty is considered as a bad habit that can reduce trustfulness

and lose self-confidence. It seems reasonable to think that people who have

high self-esteem fare better in terms of the objective outcomes they experience

in life– that they would not only be happier but also richer, more successful,

better loved, and perhaps even more attractive than low self-esteem people.

Although researchers have long speculated that high self-esteem also has

objective benefits, these hypothesized benefits are typically small or nonexistent

(Kernis, 2006.) Murdock and Stephens (2006) explain that relation between doing

something that is wrong and self-value is more complex and, in order to

preserve self-esteem a person incline to make more external and unstable

attribution for the causes of his own behavior. In this way self-esteem will not

be diminish. In a review of reasons to cheat offered by students in

pharmacology, out of twenty-two themes only two were internal attribution, the

rest were all external (Murdock, & Stephens, 2006). (AgataBlachnio et al., 2011 p.

15) Individuals with low self-efficacy and less self-confident ones cheat more

often than those with high self-efficacy. The study conducted by Aronson &

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Mettee [18] showed that individuals with low self-esteem more often commit

immoral acts that individuals with high self-esteem, which means that the level

of self-esteem determines cheating: those with low self-esteem cheat more often

than those with high self-esteem. Let us also see if the decision on whether or

not to cheat may depend on the professed moral values [cf.19]; we assume

that the individuals who cheat do not value loyalty.

2. Product of Laziness

(Ramel et al., 2017) stated “Laziness really does destroy the students’

performance and ruin their future”.70% of the total students don’t know what

they will do in the future; and almost student have no aim for their life.

Those are the reason why they don’t effort to study hard. They are lazy and

rely on their parents. According to Oxford Dictionaries, laziness is defined as the

quality of being unwilling to work or use energy. And while unwillingness to

work seems to affect only one sphere of an individual’s life especially the

students’ career having no intention to spend one’s energy seems to have a

negative impact in multiple areas. This unwillingness causes the students to get

tardy, failing to pass the outputs and projects on time, not making the time to

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study their lessons, quizzes or test that will lead them to cheat.

3. Grade Pressure

Grade pressure is one of the stimuli which encourages students to cheat.

Anderman, Griesinger, and Westerdield (1998) as cited in Björklund and Wenestam

(1999) suggested that, “classrooms that emphasize high grades and test scores

may drive the students to cheat”. Another common explanation for cheating is

the push to achieving good grades puts students under pressure, Dalton (1998),

Kibler (1993b), Higbee and Thomas (2002) as cited in Vice Chanceller and

Provost’s Committee on Academic Integrity, Research on Academic Integrity

(2005). Furthermore, Newstead, Franklyn-Stokes, and Armstead (1995) as cited

in Björklund and Wenestam (1999) found out several reasons why the students

cheated including, wishing to get a better grade dominates 20%, followed by

14% of sympathy to help friends and 10% goes to laziness. Students who

cheat may get higher grades than their progressive level in learning. Bushweller

(1999) as cited in McCabe (2012) claimed that, “grade inflation” could directly

change the average score in class or norm referenced means. According to

Russel, Roberts and Radziejowska (2011) on their journal Dishonesty in the MRCP

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(UK) Part 1 and Part 2 Written examinations, stress and pressure for good grades

are the given reason for cheating and cheating is seldom detected and when it

is, action is rarely taken.

According to Murdock and Stephens (2007), one who copies tend to

consider their behavior acceptable is when they see others copy and cheat

regularly and does not take the action seriously. Von Dran, Callahan, & Taylor

(2001) wrote that academic dishonesty “is defined in the literature as

intentionally unethical behavior”.

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Review of Related Studies

Academic cheating is an almost new subject in the field of education in Iran and its

consequences are not visible. Cheating is known as an immoral activity in the academic

environment to learn (Mccabe&Derinan, 1999).The following related studies which are

conducted ahead of our study helped us determine what are the factors and results in their studies

which gave us hint on what will be the probable results or findings by the time our study will be

conducted.

One related study to mention isthe study conducted by Ebrahim Khodaie, Ali

Moghadamzadeh and Keyvan Salehi in the year 2011 entitled, Factors Affecting the Probability

of Academic Cheating School Students in Tehran. In their study, it stated that, *twenty-fold from

all regions sampled in Tehran that the method is a class type and groups relatively time is

selected*. Their sample size is approximately 336 student as their possible respondents who were

studying at the University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. The subject of cheating in the course of

education has remained an untouched and ignored problem in the realm of researches and studies

in Iran, and since its consequences can not be seen in the near future, one hardly takes it as a

social problem. Philosopher Habermas sees cheating as an immoral behavior in educational

environment (Mccabe, &Derinan, 1999, p: 53).

Here are their temporary answers to their initial question* test anxiety is directly related

to the probability of cheating, GPA is negatively related to the probability of cheating, social –

economic status is related to probability of cheating ,cheating record has a positive effect on

probability of cheating ,class control is negatively related to probability of cheating, people's age

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is indirectly related to probability of cheating, learning motivation is directly related to the

commitment to discipline, commitment to discipline is inversely related to probability of

cheating, punishment severity in the educational atmosphere is indirectly related to probability of

cheating and ,cheating probability is higher among the men rather than women.In their study,

due to the type of the questionnaire which was written, and time and facility limitation, the

sample consisted of 340 people, 37 of the respondents which were not included in their statistical

analysis because some of their data were either missing or extraordinarily unbelievable.

They concluded that, one could say that 95.6 per cent of the students have confessed to commit

cheating in their exams or homeworks during one academic year (2002-2003). In this regard,

95.8 per cent of the students have mentioned cheating committed by their friends but, when they

were asked about the quantity of cheating among students, they thought that 70 per cent of the

students generally cheat during the exams. Motivations and reasons that the students have

mentioned for cheating are being offered in two parts; first part includes samples' direct answers

as difficult school subjects, not taking the teacher seriously, and lack of self-study. The

significant statistical correlations and the research study confirm these reasons. Also it has been

proved that students with records of cheating are the most probable cheaters in future.

Educational environments with more severe punishment for cheating are reported to have lower

probability of cheating. Students of higher socio- economic status have reported their probability

to cheat more than the others. But respondents with more inner motivation to learn were more

committed to discipline and less probable to cheating. Finally, the consequence of this behavior,

i.e. cheating, as other researchers have reported in their studies, could be traced in unethical, non-

professional behaviors which have been discussed in detail in the section of "contemporary

research and theories".Above all, students should be responsive toward their choices

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(accountability). Creation of an atmosphere based on honesty and trustworthy as the main norm

of the small and large groups and the main criterion of the academic identity should be

considered in policy making. Learning passion and truth seeking should be considered in all

class activities within and without. To promote the standards during academic years, committees,

research programs, and annual lectures on the subject could be helpful. Students should be aware

of the importance of academic honesty for the high school staff. And teachers should feel obliged

to respond to cheaters in proper time and way. Students should be reminded of other choices like

receiving consult to overcome stress, depression, and family crisis in difficult situations (the

situations which are almost excuses for justifying cheating) rather than cheating.

Another international study that is related to our study is the research which was

conducted by Sara AsmawatiShariffuddin and Richard J. Holmes and entitled, Cheating in

Examinations: A Study of Academic Dishonesty in a Malaysian College. Their study was

published on a book named, Asian Journal of University Education Vol. 5 No. 2, 99-124,

2009.Cheating by students in higher education institutions is a growing concern for educators

and employers because of its impact on the quality of education and the reliability of assessment.

Graves (2008) has indicated that students who cheat on tests are more likely to engage in

dishonest activities in the workplace than those who do not. Furthermore, such activities may

harm not only their colleagues, particularly those in highrisk professions such as engineers,

doctors, nurses and so on, but also the organization in which they work. In addition, employers

nowadays demand competent graduates who are ethical in order “to cope with the pressures and

complexities of working in a rapidly changing, competitive environment” (Zahran, 1997, p. 124).

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 They had 6respondents, in a room as if they were having an actual exam together with

two lecturers. The 6 respondents were former Terengganu Advanced Technical Institute-

University College (TATiUC). The two lecturers were TATiUC’s Dean of Student Affairs and

Alumni (HEPA).The 6 students were examined on what are their techniques in cheating . In their

findings, it showed that four cheating techniques were used by all the student respondents. First,

the most frequent technique reported was using prohibited materials such as cheat-sheets as five

out of six respondents described how they smuggled cheat-sheets into the examination hall.

Among the objects used to import the forbidden materials were permissible items such as

calculator, stationery, personal belongings, articles of clothing and dictionaries.Another situation

is if peeking at the prohibited materials was not possible, the students would figure out an

alternative to smuggle the forbidden information into the exam hall by excusing themselves to go

the restroom to find answers at a storage place where the materials were hidden. It was found

that several strategies were employed to prevent cheating in examinations. The ten strategies

reported by student respondents were: giving warnings, proctoring, prohibiting irrelevant

materials into in-class examination, checking permissible items to prevent smuggling forbidden

materials into the examination hall, requiring some space in seating arrangements, ensuring that

the identity of the examination candidate is the same as the one registered for the course,

escorting students to the restroom, providing study guides or clues to the examination questions,

conducting an open book test and implementing dress codes. Among the seven measures

reported by the lecturers were: informing and reminding students of the rules and regulations of

the examinations, forming a disciplinary committee to handle cheating cases, announcing

cheaters who have been found guilty and their punishments, using psychological approach,

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reporting cheating incidents and providing guidelines to lecturers pertaining to the preventive

measures. The latest preventive measure was the announcement of convicted cheaters.

They concluded, base on their study that cheating techniques that were employed by

student respondents were detected by lecturers. It was probably due to limited sample in the

study they conducted. They recommended that the future researchers should obtain more

information about cheating techniques used by the students. The study they presented may not be

generalizable for the participants were former TATiUC students who doesn’t represent all of the

students around the world.

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 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The research study is an example of qualitative research since it is more subjective that a

quantitative research. This study is involves gathering, analyzing and interpreting data base on

the observations of the researchers about the participants. This study applies the phenomenology

research approach as it explores the world of the participants by gaining thoughts and insights to

a particular phenomenon.

Research Participants

There will be twenty (20) of this study. The respondents will be randomly selected from the

Grade 11 Senior High School students. Under the STEM strand of University of Cebu Lapu-

Lapu and Mandaue campus (UCLM).

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Research Environment

The study will be conducted at University of Cebu Lapu-lapu and Mandaue campus (UCLM)

located at A.C Cortes Ave. Looc,Mandaue City at the Annex 2 building, 3rd floor Grade 11

STEM strand classrooms.

Research Instrument

The researchers will use a survey questionnaires in conducting the study. There will be twenty

(20) random Grade 11 Senior High School students under the STEM strand who will answer the

questionnaires and it will be the basis in analyzing the results of this study

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Research Procedure

First, the researchers will present the transmittal letter which was signed by the Principal and

noted by the subject teacher before conducting the survey. Next, the researchers will randomly

select 20 students from different sections to answer the questionnaires. Lastly, the researchers

will gather and analyze the data collected.

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 APPENDICES

Sample Questionnaire

Name (Optional):_______________________________ Age:__

Section (Optional):__________________ Gender:___

Please answer the following questions with honesty and profound thinking for this will be the

basis for our Research Data Collection.

1. How was it being a STEM student? Explain further.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_______________________________.

2. What are the hardships you encountered while you we’re in study?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_______________________________.

3. During those hardships, are there any instances that you felt like there’s no other
way or solution but to cheat?
_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_______________________________.

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4. Can you share us your views and thoughts about cheating?

4.1 Can you consider cheating a good way? Under what circumstances?

_________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

4.2 If No, are there ways you practiced to prevent cheating? What are those?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

5. What makes you enact cheating? Cite some possible factors.

a.) _______________________________________________________________

b.) _______________________________________________________________

c.) _______________________________________________________________

d.) _______________________________________________________________

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 TRANSMITAL LETTER

Dr. Severina B. Chin

Principal
Senior High School Department
University Of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue
A.C. Cortes Ave. Looc, Mandaue City

Dear Dr. Chin:

We are given a research task and our study is entitled “Factors that leads SHS-STEM

students” for the fulfilment of our task in Practical Research 1. This study aims to determine

what are the possible factor that lead students to cheat.

In line with this, we would like to ask your good office to allow us to conduct our study

to all Grade 11 STEM sections from ST11P01 to ST11P07 as they are our chosen to be the

respondents of our study.

I am hoping for your positive response.

Respectfully,

______________________
Glenn Carl Anthony H. Raboy

Student/Group Leader

Noted by:

______________________
Ms. Winna Tibon
Adviser

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Approved by:

______________________
Dr. Severina B. Chin
SHS Principal

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