MADDELA MARVELOUS GRACE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL INC .

National Highway Buenavista, Maddela Quirino

E-mail Add; mgcs_maddela@yahoo.com
Cell phone Number: 09183450424/09061860907

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Under Pressure!;Breaking Mysteries Toward Academic Cheating

_____________________________
An Qualitative Research
Presented to
the Faculty of the Maddela Marvelous Grace Christian School Inc.
National Highway Buenavista ,Maddela,Quirino

_____________________________
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for Practical Research 1(Qualitative Research)
_____________________________
Joshua Nadudo
Ana Lea Natura
Brandon Sulpico
Genesis Hallig
Daryll Blanco
2020
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter presents the introduction, background of the study, conceptual framework,

statement of the problem, hypothesis, and significance of the study, scope and delimitation,

and definition of terms.

Introduction

Academic Cheating

According to Brickman (1961) academic cheating reaches back to ancient times. The first

recorded attempts happened in the ancient China when candidates for civil servants tried to cheat

despite expected punishments for being caught were as severe as death penalty. Ehrlich et al.

(1980, p. 141) defines cheating in general as behaving “dishonestly or unfairly in order to win

some profit or advantage.” Garavalia et al. (2007) complement this definition with the

intentionality of such behavior. Hetherington and Feldman (1964) considering the intentionality

(unplanned vs. planned) of cheating made distinction between individual (i.e., using crib notes)

and collaborative (i.e., whispering) forms of cheating. Furthermore, according to a further

classification it is possible to distinguish plagiarism from exam cheating. While using cheating

sheets or whispering are related to exam cheating, plagiarism refers to “the theft of words or

ideas, beyond the point that would normally be regarded as general knowledge” (Park, 2003, p.
472). Considering such classifications in the present study, we focus on both individual and

collaborative forms of intentional exam < cheating.

In a study on what motivates cheating, W. L. Y. Nora and K.C. Zhang (2010) found that

only 6% of the students reported that they had never engaged in any forms of cheating, whereas,

over 90% admitted to at least one incident of cheating.

Diego (2017) stated that learners in the Philippine educational system are required to

follow the mandate of excellence, mastery and integrity of the academic instruction in attaining

knowledge and skills intended for the student’s infinite potentials. However, this purpose is

almost and always frustrated by misconducts and dishonesty among students.

Another study on the Causes and Effects of cheating during examination, Diego (2017)

revealed that peer pressure is one of the most triggering causes in academic dishonesty. The

study also found that the primary effect of cheating for them is to get passing grades in order to

make their parents proud.

Furthermore, academic dishonesty risks a schools credibility to uphold integrity and

ethical values among its students to produce well-grounded graduates. It will be an unending

practice tied with academic situations to the students as aid in achieving better grades. (Diego,

2017)

Cheating means copying from other students during exams, one of the forms of

misconduct that has become one of the biggest concerns of educational institutions (Wilkinson,

2009) [19].
 Cheating involves the possession, communication or use of information, materials,

notes,study aids or other devices not authorized by the instructor in an academic exercise, or

communication with another person during such an exercise. Many students cheat just to receive

a passing grade and impress their parents and teacher. Academic cheating is caused by many

reasons; parental pressure, teacher pressure and poor time management. Many students may

cheat to impress their parents, hoping that bringing home a good grade may lead to them

receiving several good compliments and rewards. Teacher pressure will generate the need for

students to cheat academically. Academic cheating is a growing concern among adolescents in

schools worldwide. It is a problem that starts in elementary school and goes on through college.

Previous research shows that academic cheating is a serious problem in all educational levels in

the entire world (Mc Cabe, Terivino, & Butterfield, 2001) [9]. Academic cheating is defined as

an illegal change of a grade, the use of helping materials during a test without permission or

representing someone else's work as one's own. Academic cheating is also every other act of

dishonesty on behalf of a student, a teacher or professor in an academic environment. It is

believed that academic cheating is wide-spread across all levels of education while it usually

begins among students at the age.

 The purpose of this study aims to determine what affects the students to takes place in

cheating, to determine the factors that prompted students to cheat that seems to be normal

nowadays, and the recommendations needed to respond on this issue.

Statement of the Problem

Cheating has been a rampant practice among students.It seems like academic cheating is

a normal habit nowadays among the Senior High School. “Why students cheat has been the

topic of extensive research, but how they cheat has been largely neglected.”

This study was conducted to find out what are the factors that affects the students

to cheat that seems to be normal nowadays and what pressures them to cheat.

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1.What are the factors that force the students to cheat?

2.What are the students experience in cheating?way of cheating?techniques?and what

subject does the students often cheat?

3.How do cheating affect the students study or academic performance?

4.The students behavior in cheating?

Objectives of the Study

The study titled “Under Pressure!:Breaking Mysteries Toward Academic Cheating”

assumes the following.

 The following are forwarded in this study:

1. To determine the factors prompted high school students from cheating.

2. Document the cheating experiences of students inside the classroom.

3. To recognize if the students’ behaviour, as a student-factor affect their academic

cheating.

4. c. To determine if the five aspects of personality affects the students’ academic

cheating.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The focus of the study is on academic dishonesty and will cover 5 high school students.

Significance of the Study

Promoting honesty and to faithfully follow the mandate of excellence, mastery and integrity of
learning knowledge and skills which are intended for the of their infinite potentials which lie
dormant if untouched with graces of academic instructions.
Students. This research will help the students to be aware of the existing factors that
could affect them to cheat. Knowing the factors that can affect them to cheat can be very helpful
to the students to vanish the things that can affect their studies, to improve their lacking, to cope
up with their weaknesses not just to excel in a particular area but to excel in all areas of learning.
Teachers. This research study can help improve the teachers’ way in teaching with a
better understanding to the students especially to the needs or problems of their students.
Teachers should be more aware of the need to strengthen the positive attitudes of the students
and to modify those things that need to be improved through conditioning, motivating, and
encouraging the students.
Administrators. This research will serve as foundation to improve and revise some
instructions that will fulfil to help the students. It would help them to schedule, organize,
activities, and achievement progress for the students’. The results of this research will provide
information to the administrators on the academic dishonesty performed by students. They may
employ strategies that will lessen the risks of cheating among the students.
Future Researchers. This study can help the future researchers who will conduct future
studies that are related to this title. Adding more information’s and data to their research.

Conceptual Framework

Input   Process Output

 Senior High  Face to face  New ideas and

school interview insights about
students  Observation Unraveling
response frailties toward
 Assessment of
 Cheating academic
claims by the
practices of cheating among
informants.
the Senior senior high
 Corroboration
high school school
of results
 Recommendatio
students through
 Unraveling ns
interview.
frailties
toward
academic
cheating
among
senior high
school.

FEEDBACK

Figure 1.Conceptual Framework of the study

Input The input forwarded in the study includes the (1) High school student’s responses and (2)
the practices involved in cheating. The students cheating practices of high school students was
determined using an interview sheet. The degree of cheating among the respondents was known.
This is where the results, conclusion, and recommendation were based.
Process This study is two integral processes in analyzing the gathered date: (1) Assessment of
the Cheating Practices among high school students through an interview (2) Corroboration of
results
Output This study puts forward a recommendation to respond on the various cheating issues.
Definition of Terms
The following are defined based on how they used in this study:
Academic Cheating is defined as an illegal change of grade using helping materials during a test
without permission or representing someone else's work as one's own.
Peer Pressure is the state where an individual felt threatened or stressed out due to peer
conditions.
Students A learner who is enrolled in an educational institution. (Sage dictionary)
Cheating Practices forms of misconduct that has become one of the biggest concerns of
educational institutions.
 Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter present an intensive review of literature addressing cheating practices,
includes varied scopes to be discussed to understand more the problem regarding cheating. In
this chapter, theories on academic cheating, causes of cheating, effects of cheating, and strategies
in cheating were discussed from different authors. Reasons and ways are enumerated to assess
the perception of students and what other factors could have been influenced the learners to
cheat.
A lack of knowledge and the prediction of failure were mentioned as two main reasons
accounting for students’ tendency to deceive.
The mastery goals structure reasons for cheating comprises: semester workload too
heavy, too many tests on one day, unfair tests designed, unreasonable workload in course, Sitting
arrangement, Weak Invigilation or inadequate invigilation, peer influence during examination
(Anderman 2010).
Cheating involves the possession, communication or use of information, materials, notes,
study aids or other devices not authorized by the instructor in an academic exercise, or
communication with another person during such an exercise. It was noted that the reason to cheat
were: Not preparing for the exam, lack of time to study, carelessness and lack of punishment
from instructors. (UC Denver CLAS, 2011)
According to Ahmadi (2012) the most common methods of cheating were found to be
copying from other test studies and talking to neighbors during the exam, besides using certain
gestures to get answers from others.
Sarita (2015) stated that many students cheat to receive a passing grade and impress their
parents and teacher.
According to Russell, Roberts and Radziejowska (2011) on their journal Dishonesty in
the MRCP (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.
In his research, Diego (2017) revealed that peer pressure is one of the most triggering
causes of academic dishonesty. Time pressure deeply affected learners to cheat during
examinations.
More than 45% of students admit frequently cheating in order to get higher academic
results. (Harding et al., 2007; Taradi et al., 2010; Ramzan et al, 2012)
A study by Mwalongo L. J. (2012) found that the most common forms of body gestures
used in cheating during examinations are facial expression (81.4%) and hand- finger gestures
(62.3%) as reasons for the choice of body language in cheating during examination.
 A study by Chinamasa et al (2011) identified two methods of cheating; individual and
collaborative. Individual method of cheating is where an individual attempts or plans or cheats
by using his or her own strategies.
Ramorola (2012) named the strategies as crib notes and they are a common tactic used to
cheat in examination. The strategies include; writing notes on hand, thighs, ruler, shirtsleeves,
skirt hems and inside the shade of their caps. Collaborative methods involve two or more
candidates planning the cheating strategies or attempt to cheat. The strategies include; a
candidate raising the script in front to allow the one behind to read the answers, body language
( gestures, sign language facial expression to mention the few), exchanging of question papers,
swapping sitting places as well answer booklets. (Mwalongo L. J. 2012)
Cheating has been found to correlate negatively with grades, and with other variables proven to
ensure academic success, such as conscientiousness, self efficacy, learning motivation and more
frequent class attendance (Yardley, Domènech, Bates & Nelson, 2009).

Every now and then, we come across anecdotal evidence of academic dishonesty of
students.The irony of it all comes in the context in which these incidents happen – inside the
school or while doing school work. Most institutions of higher learning, if not all, aim for
academic excellence and produce moral and upright professionals. However, these anecdotal
evidences seem to tell us a different story. In the U.S., academic integrity appears to be plagued
with anincreasing percentage of students who have committed at least one act of academic
dishonesty(Mohr, Ingram, Fell & Mabey, 2011; Kisamore, Stone & Jawahar, 2007).

Academic integrity involves all acts upholding ethical values and maintaining a good
moral character within the academic environ and context. Universities and schools often equate
this construct with intellectual honesty. American University (2002), for instance, clearly
manifests that honesty must permeate in a wide set of activities pertinent to the “pursuit of
knowledge and understanding,” such as, using information and formulating arguments.
Meanwhile, the International Center for Academic Integrity (2012) defines academic integrity as
“a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness,
respect, and responsibility.”academic dishonesty and misconduct has received much attention
since the early half of the twentieth century (Hulsart & McCarthy, 2009). A
Academic dishonesty is easily associated with cheating and plagiarism. As mentioned
earlier, most studies in the Philippines have focused on these two acts of academic dishonesty.
For this study, academic integrity conduct shall be construed based on the description of
Kisamore, Stone & Jawahar (2007): a construct that encompasses multiple forms of academic
deviance including but not limited to test cheating, plagiarism, and inappropriate collaboration
(p.382)students beliefs that "everyone cheats" (Houston, 1976, p. 301) or that cheating is a
normal part of life (Baird, 1980) encourage cheating. The adage "cheaters never win" may not
apply in the case of academic dishonesty. With cheating rates as high as 75% to 87% (e.g., Baird,
1980; Jendreck, 1989) and detection rates as low as 1.30% (Haines et al., 1986), academic
dishonesty is reinforced, not punished. (Davis, Grover, Becker & McGregor, 1992, p. 17)

With detection rates as low as 1,3 % it is hardly surprising that students to a great extent
perceive academic misconduct as worth while and even approved of. As an illustration of the low
detection rates; during a five year period (1991-1995) only 24 students were brought to the
disciplinary board for cheating at one Swedish university (Grahnstr�m, 1996).
Academic cheating is a universal phenomenon. It is present in every level of education
(Anderman and Murdock, 2007). We can see a high prevalence rate among college and
university students: according to the USA results (McCabe, 2005), 60% of university students
cheated at least once during their academic career. Similar prevalence can be observed among
South Korean (Park et al., 2013), Chinese (Ma et al., 2013), Hungarian (Orosz et al., 2013), and
Western European (Teixeira and Rocha, 2010) students.

According to McCabe and Trevino (1997), two main groups of variables have effect on
students’ cheating behavior: individual (e.g., achievement goals or motivations) and contextual
(e.g., classroom climate or personality of teachers) factors. Previous reviews and meta-analyses
(McCabe and Trevino, 1997; Whitley, 1998) suggest that contextual factors have larger impact
on students’ cheating than individual factors. Therefore, we suppose that teacher enthusiasm as a
contextual variable has larger impact on the cheating behavior than individual differences such
as academic motivations. In the following, firstly, the effect of relevant cheating-related
individual differences (academic motivations); later the effect of relevant cheating-related
contextual (perceived enthusiasm) variables will be introduced.

Academic cheating has been an increasing and serious problem among educational
institutions all over the world. Its beguiling offer to students boosts their capability to cheat
more. Students tend to use every means of academic dishonesty to pass an examination and to
earn higher grade. (Diego, 2017)
Cheating involves the possession, communication or use of information, materials, notes,
study aids or other devices not authorized by the instructor in an academic exercise, or
communication with another person during such an exercise. It was noted that the reason to cheat
were: Not preparing for the exam, lack of time to study, carelessness and lack of punishment
from instructors. (UC Denver CLAS, 2011)
According to Manar and Shameem (2014), academic dishonesty is defined as the
students’ use of illicit activities, techniques and forms of fraud during their examination or
evaluation processes for the purpose of achieving better grades.
 To cheat were: Not preparing for the exam, lack of time to study, carelessness and lack of
punishment from instructors. (UC Denver CLAS, 2011)
 According to Manar and Shameem (2014), academic dishonesty is defined as the
students’ use of illicit activities, techniques and forms of fraud during their examination or
evaluation processes for the purpose of achieving better grades.
 Chapter III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the Research Design, Locale and Respondents of the Study,
Research Instrument, and Data Gathering Procedure.

Research Design
The descriptive method of qualitative research was used by researcher on this study. The
study employed the Qualitative Design using Case Study as strategy for inquiry carried out by
the collection of data which can concur, refute or contest theories which in turn allows for
understanding and clarification for different observation (Conroy, 2010). It is a complete
description and analysis of a research subject, without limiting the scope of the research and the
nature of participant’s responses (Collis & Hussey, 2003). Qualitative research involves a
process known as induction, whereby data is collected relating to a specific area of study and
from this data the researcher constructs different concepts and theories. A qualitative approach
was considered more relevant to undertake this research as it allowed greater capacity to gain
more depth and meaning based on an individual’s experiences of academic cheating strategies
and why such behavior occur opposed to a quantitative approach which is more structured,
broader in scale and more numerically based.
Locale of the study
The study was conducted at Maddela, Marvelous Grace Christian School Incorporated
which was located at National High Way Buenavista, Maddela Quirino.
Respondents of the Study
In choosing the sample of informants the researcher used a purposive sampling method.
This form of sampling is essentially strategic and necessitates an attempt to establish a good
correspondence between research questions and sampling (Bryman, 2004). Informants were
sought through personal contacts of the researcher. Initially five informants were recruited to be
interviewed. As highlighted, the informants covered different high school students with their
code-name intended for confidentiality of information.
Research Instrument
The instrument used in this study is an open-ended questions designed to evaluate the
students’ awareness in academic cheating. For the purposes of this research, in depth interviews
were used. In depth interviews are personal and unstructured interviews, whose aim is to identify
informant’s emotions, feelings, and opinions regarding a particular research subject. The main
advantage of personal interviews is that they involve personal and direct contact between
interviewers and interviewees, as well as eliminate non-response rates, but interviewers need to
have developed the necessary skills to successfully carry an interview (Conroy, 2010). What is
more, unstructured interviews offer flexibility in terms of the flow of the interview, thereby
leaving room for the generation of conclusions that were not initially meant to be derived
regarding a research subject. However, there is the risk that the interview may deviate from the
prespecified research aims and objectives (Conroy, 2010).
Some sample questions that were included in the semi-structured questionnaire were the
following:

What are their ways in which you cheat ?

What are their techniques in cheating ?
What subject does the students often cheat?