Exploring Academic Dishonesty Among University Students: University of Jammu, India

Abstract

Over the years, academic cheating continues to be an endemic issue that has always been a threat to academic honesty and social values. Academic dishonesty among the students is a perplexing phenomenon, that exists in every stage of our education system, especially in colleges and universities. College and university administrators admit that academic dishonesty is an issue on campus but they often lack in preparing effective policies and procedures to monitor it and to deal with it. In addition, indecisive perceptions regarding academic dishonesty has adverse effects on paradoxical situation of education. The current study provides details about the causes that motivate students to cheat and describes the different forms of cheating practices performed by the students. The purpose of this study is to define the students of University of Jammu what is meant by academic cheating, to determine the factors associated with cheating behaviour and to classify of the students according to their cheating behaviour. From the current study, the main reasons due to which students go for cheating are not knowing/understanding the study material, performance pressure, inadequate exam preparations, etc. Also, around 42%, 6% and 52% of the respondents are found to be occasional, persistent and instantaneous cheaters, respectively. We suggest that students must understand that cheating is wrong not only for the society but also for their own knowledge because by indulging in cheating students prevent them from learning what they are studying and hence, deteriorate the intellectual human resource of the country.