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Academic Dishonesty at Hawassa University

The study examined academic dishonesty at Hawassa University in Ethiopia through questionnaires and interviews with 80 students and 20 instructors from four colleges. The objectives were to understand perceptions of academic dishonesty, identify the most common forms, and determine reasons for it. The most frequent behaviors were exam dishonesty, plagiarism, and improper group work. Reasons included difficulty of tests, time scarcity, irrelevant course material, and pressure for good grades. The author notes that managing time effectively could help reduce cheating and plagiarism by ensuring assignments are completed without rushing. Difficult tests also contribute by making learning the material in a timely manner challenging.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
30 views2 pages

Academic Dishonesty at Hawassa University

The study examined academic dishonesty at Hawassa University in Ethiopia through questionnaires and interviews with 80 students and 20 instructors from four colleges. The objectives were to understand perceptions of academic dishonesty, identify the most common forms, and determine reasons for it. The most frequent behaviors were exam dishonesty, plagiarism, and improper group work. Reasons included difficulty of tests, time scarcity, irrelevant course material, and pressure for good grades. The author notes that managing time effectively could help reduce cheating and plagiarism by ensuring assignments are completed without rushing. Difficult tests also contribute by making learning the material in a timely manner challenging.

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© All Rights Reserved
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ACADEMIC

DISHONESTY 1

Academic Dishonesty

The Nature, Causes and Practices of Academic Dishonesty/Cheating in Higher

Education: The Case of Hawassa University is the name of the study was that was used to

answer the following questions: how do teachers and learners perceive the practice of various

academic dishonesties in the university, what are the most frequently occurring unethical

academic behaviors in the university, why do students engage in academic corruption regularly,

and what are strategies to curb the problems in the context of the university? In this study, there

were 80 students and 20 instructors from four of Hawassa University’s eight colleges (Bachore,

2016). This study was conducted through questionnaire and interview. The questionnaire was

administered to the instructors and the students simultaneously, while the interview was

administered to the instructors. The first objective studied the feeling of teachers and learners

towards the practice of academic dishonesties. The data showed that cheating is a serious

challenge. The second objective identified the most frequent academic dishonest behaviors,

showing that the most occurring were exam dishonesty, written work plagiarism and improper

use of group work. The final objective determined reasons for academic dishonesty, which

showed difficulty of the test, time scarcity, course irrelevant material, and pressure for good

grades as reasons for being academically dishonest (Bachore, 2016).

I found it interesting that time management is mentioned as a reason for cheating and

plagiarism. It is difficult for many people, including myself, so making sure to manage time

wisely and not procrastinate will ensure that I am not rushing to complete assignments and

plagiarize. I also found it significant that the study showed that the difficulty of the test was a

contributing factor. I feel that this accompanies time management because, learning the course

material can take time, so managing time wisely will reduce academic dishonesty.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY 2

References

Bachore, M. M. (2016). The nature, causes and practices of academic dishonesty/cheating in

higher education: The case of Hawassa University. Journal of Education and Practice,

7(19), 14–20. Retrieved from

[Link]

c&AN=EJ1109249&site=ehost-live

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The study identified exam dishonesty, written work plagiarism, and improper use of group work as the most frequently occurring forms of academic dishonesty at Hawassa University. The underlying causes for their prevalence include the difficulty of tests, time scarcity, course-irrelevant material, and pressure to achieve good grades .

The study suggests strategies such as addressing the difficulty of tests, ensuring course materials are relevant, and reducing pressure for high grades to mitigate academic dishonesty. These strategies are likely to be effective by aligning educational objectives with student needs and capacities, thus reducing the incentives to engage in dishonest behavior .

The study suggests that institutional measures need significant adaptation to address academic dishonesty effectively. This could mean adopting more nuanced and supportive approaches, like increasing awareness, providing resources for better time management, and tailoring assessments to discourage dishonest behavior .

The study conducted by Bachore (2016) revealed that both teachers and students perceive cheating as a serious challenge at Hawassa University. This indicates a shared concern about academic dishonesty within the educational community of the university .

Difficulty of tests can contribute to academic dishonesty as students might cheat to meet challenging requirements. Educational institutions can address this by aligning test content with taught material, ensuring tests are of appropriate difficulty, and providing adequate support, such as tutoring, to help students meet learning outcomes .

Improper use of group work as academic dishonesty can result in unequal contribution and unfair grading. This issue can be addressed by clearly defining individual roles within groups, using peer evaluations, and designing assessments that require individual accountability in addition to group success .

Test difficulty plays a critical role as it can both shape perceptions of academic dishonesty and increase its occurrence. Institutions can balance challenging assessments with fairness by ensuring that tests reflect the curriculum taught, are piloted for appropriate difficulty levels, and supplemented with preparation resources to build student confidence and ability .

Pressure for good grades can lead to academic dishonesty as students might resort to cheating to meet high expectations. Educational practices such as adopting a holistic grading approach, providing feedback-focused assessments, and fostering a growth mindset can help alleviate this pressure by emphasizing learning over grades .

When students find course material irrelevant, they may lack motivation to engage with the content, possibly leading to academic dishonesty as a way to manage their workload. Ensuring materials are relevant and applicable can increase student engagement and reduce the likelihood of dishonest practices .

Poor time management is identified as a significant factor contributing to academic dishonesty at Hawassa University. Students often find themselves rushing to complete assignments, leading to behaviors like plagiarism. Effective time management could reduce the need to engage in dishonest practices by allowing adequate time for learning and completing tasks .

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