Abstract
The current study aimed to explore effective strategies for preventing cheating in online examinations by surveying students to determine their cheating strategies. A total of 406 Iranian students at BA, MA, and PhD levels in four programs, including English language teaching, English literature, Linguistics, and English language translation, participated in this study using a convenient sampling technique. The sample was drawn from 83 universities across all 31 provinces of Iran. The researchers developed a 30-item questionnaire and a 4-item interview to collect data. The results revealed that searching in PDFs and using social media groups were the most commonly used cheating strategies. To prevent this form of academic dishonesty, teachers used various strategies, the most effective being the use of conceptual questions and one-by-one oral exams with turned-on webcams. The main reason for students to cheat was their desire to perform better. The implications of this study are relevant for educational stakeholders, particularly teachers, and students, in promoting academic integrity.
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Reza Taherkhani: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Resources, Writing- original draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization Saba Aref: Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Resources, Writing- original draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization Data Availability: Data are available and we could send them if requested.
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Highlights
• The main reason of students to cheat in online exams is better performance.
• The most common online cheating strategies are sharing exam answers on social media groups and searching in PDFs.
• The most effective preventive strategies employed by teachers are taking one-by-one oral exams and devising conceptual questions.
• Useful preventive strategies require the eclecticism and combination of effective and conditionally effective preventive strategies.
Appendices
Appendix A
Cheating in Online Exams
This survey is developed by Taherkhani and Aref (2024) at Bu-Ali Sina University to find different strategies used for cheating in online examinations. This is not a test so there are no "right" or "wrong" answers and you don’t even have to write your name on it. We are interested in your personal opinion. Please respond sincerely as only this will guarantee the success of the investigation. Thank you very much for your help.
Please Provide the Following Information
GPA (Grade Point Average): …
Gender: …
Age: …
Study program: … (English language teaching, English literature, Linguistics, and English language translation).
Study level: …. (BA, MA, PhD).
University: ….
Province: ….
Online Cheating Questionnaire
Following are a number of statements about cheating in online examinations. We would like you to indicate your opinion after each statement by selecting the response that best indicates the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Thank you very much for your help.
Strongly disagree | Disagree | Partially disagree | Partially agree | Agree | Strongly agree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A. Online Cheating Reasons | ||||||
1. I cheat to pass the exams. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
2. I cheat to perform better. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
3. I cheat because many students cheat. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
4. I cheat because of lack of time to study carefully. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
5. I cheat because I hardly study during the term. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
B. Online Cheating Strategies | ||||||
6. I communicate with my friends. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
7. I share exam answers in social media groups. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
8. I use books (electronic/hardcopy). | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
9. I pay/ask others to take the exam for me. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
10. I use online websites. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
C. Teachers’ Preventive Strategies | ||||||
11. My teacher reduces the time allocated to exams. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
12. My teacher takes one-by-one oral exams. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
13. My teacher asks us to turn on our webcams while taking exams. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
14. My teacher asks us to record our computer screen. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
15. My teacher uses fingerprint recognition software. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
16. My teacher warns us about the consequences of cheating. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
17. My teacher produces multiple formats of a test. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
18. My teacher compares our answers to one another. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
19. My teacher gives a failing score to those who cheat. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
20. My teacher disables the possibility of returning back to a question. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
D. The Effectiveness of Teachers’ Preventive Strategies | ||||||
21. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher reduces exam time. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
22. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher takes one-by-one oral exams. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
23. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher asks us to turn on our webcams. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
24. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher asks us to record our computer screen. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
25. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher uses fingerprint recognition software. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
26. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher warns us about the consequences of cheating. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
27. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher produces multiple formats of a test. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
28. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher compares our answers to one another. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
29. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher gives a failing score to those who cheat. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
30. I cannot cheat in online examinations when my teacher disables the possibility of returning back to a question. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Appendix B
Interview Questions
-
1.
Do you know the reasons of students for cheating in online examinations?
-
2.
What strategies do you or your classmates use to cheat in online examinations?
-
2.1. How do you/your classmates cheat so that your teacher doesn’t realize you/they have cheated?
-
-
3.
What strategies does your teacher use to prevent cheating in online examinations?
-
4.
Are your teacher’s preventive strategies effective in stopping you/your classmates from cheating?
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Taherkhani, R., Aref, S. Students’ Online Cheating Reasons and Strategies: EFL Teachers’ Strategies to Abolish Cheating in Online Examinations. J Acad Ethics (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-024-09502-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-024-09502-1