Guilty in whose eyes? University students' perceptions of cheating and plagiarism in academic work and assessment

Abstract

The little published work on cheating and plagiarism amongst students in higher education has, almost without exception, used questionnaire techniques which take for granted a shared understanding of the issues involved. The work reports the use of a qualitative methodology which attempts to discover the student perception of cheating and plagiarism without presupposing that students start from the same premises as academics. Prominent among the findings are the following: (a) there is a strong moral basis to students' views, which focus on such values as friendship, interpersonal trust and good learning. This means that some punishable behaviour can be regarded as justifiable and some officially approved behaviour can be felt to be dubious; (b) the notion of plagiarism is regarded as extremely unclear—some students have a fear that they might well plagiarise unwittingly in writing what they genuinely take to be their own ideas; and (c) factors such as alienation from the university due to lack of contact with staff, the impact of large classes, and the greater emphasis on group learning are perceived by students themselves as facilitating and sometimes excusing cheating. Understanding the student perspective on cheating and plagiarism can significantly assist academics in their efforts to communicate appropriate norms.