Student plagiarism is a growing problem within Australian universities and abroad. Potentially exacerbating this situation, research indicates that students' attitudes toward plagiarism are typically more permissive and lenient than the policies of their tertiary institutions. There has been suggestion that this is especially so in Asian countries relative to Western countries; however, very little research has sought to empirically validate this suggestion. Moreover, existing research in this area has typically compared international and domestic students studying in Western countries. As yet, no studies have directly compared Chinese and Australian university students' attitudes toward plagiarism, as they exist within their native countries. Rasch analysis/ differential item functioning were conducted to contrast 131 Australian and 173 Chinese undergraduate university students' attitudes towards plagiarism. Results indicated distinct cross-cultural differences in aspects of students' plagiarism attitudes. Regardless of ethnic background, the results highlight undergraduate students' typical lack of understanding of plagiarism and plagiarist behaviours. students. The author attributed this result to academic pressure (i.e., workloads) and the perception that many international students were doing likewise. Generalisation of these findings, however, is complicated by the unique demands of studying abroad. For instance, in addition to typical coursework demands, international students also must overcome unique and significant language barriers, which have been associated with plagiarist behaviours (Devlin and Gray 2007). It is therefore difficult to determine whether these findings provide an accurate reflection of cultural differences in attitudes towards plagiarism or the additional pressures international students face in a foreign learning environment.Furthermore, plagiarism is a highly complex phenomenon and, as such, it is likely that there is no single explanation for why individuals engage in plagiarist behaviours. In fact, At the heart of this issue is whether or not there are genuine cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward plagiarism. To address this issue, the current study surveyed Chinese and Australian university students studying domestically in order to compare these students' attitudes toward plagiarism and the perceived factors contributing to plagiarist behaviours.Importantly, the cross-cultural comparison of university students studying domestically minimises the conflation of the unique demands of studying abroad. As such, any differences in plagiarism attitudes can more readily be attributed to cross-cultural differences in attitudes Method ParticipantsParticipants were domestic undergraduate students enrolled at either an Australian (n = 131) or Chinese university (n = 173). In the Australian sample there were significantly more females than males (80.9% female), the pattern of which was reversed in the Chinese sample (19.3% female). All Australian students were enrolled in...

I would like to acknowledge everyone who contributed to the completion of this thesis. My supervisor, Professor John Sweller for his immeasurable support, inspiration, and continued encouragement; my gratitude for him is beyond words. My coadvisor Professor Slava Kalyuga for his valuable insight and guidance. John and Slava were very cooperative and responded promptly to emails and queries. I am grateful for their patience and persistence especially during the writing of this thesis. My mum, her soul did not leave me a minute during this journey. I followed her advice and the path that she taught me in life to complete this task. I only wish she was here now to see my achievements! My dad, who always wanted me to be "Dr. Sahar" and continuously reminded me of his trust in my abilities. He worked very hard all his life to provide me with the highest educational standard in order to reach this goal. I am very happy that I was able to fulfil his dream. My sisters Boriada & Sawsan, my sisters in law, Nabiha, Samira, Samia, Sanaa, & Missou, My special nephew Rami, and my brother in law Walid. The support that they all provided my family and me during this period was beyond expectations. My overseas friends: Fatima, Nadia, Samar, Suzy, and Majed. The genuine and enormous help that they provided my family during my absence is unforgettable. I am very thankful for your sincere friendship. A special acknowledgment to Rana, Chee, & Linda for following my progress step by step. My previous manager Chris, who always believed in my capabilities and encouraged me to reach my ultimate potential, the regular professional conversation enhanced my commitment to the task. My friend Kusai and his family for providing a loving family support that pulled me up in hard days. My friend Joe for creating the essential network that facilitated the substantial amount of participants to conduct the experiments of this thesis.

Prior research on plagiarism has indicated that men may have a greater predisposition toward academic dishonesty than women. However, little research has been conducted using psychometrically tested instruments to validate such claims. To address this gap, a survey was conducted with 377 undergraduate students at a Canadian university on their attitudes toward plagiarism using a psychometrically validated instrument (the Attitudes Toward Plagiarism Questionnaire-Revised). Using differential item functioning/ Rasch analysis, no overall differences in attitudes toward plagiarism based on gender were found. A descriptive analysis of both men and women revealed that while only a concerning minority of students reported engaging in plagiarist behaviours; there was a tendency for students to take a permissive stance on plagiarism. These results are discussed within the wider context of plagiarism research in higher education.

Human movement has been found to have positive effects on learning performance. This study examined the effects of using Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) CABRI to manipulate geometric properties of triangles or observing those manipulations made by an instructor on learning geometric properties with DGS-CABRI. Participants were 60 year 5 students, who received instructions on geometric problems and were randomly assigned to three conditions: A condition in which they performed mouse movements to manipulate geometric properties of triangles, a condition in which they observed the teacher performing those manipulations, and a conventional condition in which they studied a static format of the learning materials without any manipulations. We hypothesized that learning conditions involving manipulations of geometric properties of triangles would result in lower cognitive load and higher performance on a retention and transfer test than the conventional condition. Moreover, we hypothesized that making manipulations of the geometric properties of triangles through mouse movements would be superior to observing those manipulations being made by an instructor in terms of cognitive load, retention-and transfer test performance. Whereas the first hypothesis was confirmed, the latter hypothesis was only confirmed for retention test performance. Possible implications for educational practice are discussed.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of failing to psychometrically test questionnaire instruments when measuring university students’ attitudes towards plagiarism. These issues are highlighted by a psychometric evaluation of a commonly used (but previously untested) plagiarism attitudinal scale. Design/methodology/approach – The importance of psychometric testing is shown through an analysis of a commonly used scale using modern techniques (e.g. Rasch analysis) on 131 undergraduate education students at an Australian university. Findings – Psychometric analysis revealed the scale to be unreliable in its present form. However, when reduced to an eight-item subscale it became marginally reliable. Research limitations/implications – The main implication of this paper is that questionnaire instruments cannot be assumed to function as they are intended without thorough psychometric testing. Practical implications – The paper offers valuable insight into the psychometric properties of a previously untested but commonly used plagiarism attitudinal scale. Originality/value – The paper offers a straightforward and easy to understand introduction to researchers in higher education who use questionnaires/surveys in their research but lack an understanding of why psychometric testing is so critical. While similar papers have been written in other fields which advocate psychometric approaches, such as Rasch analysis, this has not been the case in higher educational research (or mainstream educational research for that matter).