An Investigation on the Frequency, Motives, and Strategies of Cheating in Exams

Abstract

Cheating on exams has been increasingly apparent and a perennial problem in academic institutions. This study attempts to investigate the frequency of engagement in cheating among first year English students at the University of Mohammed Seddik Ben Yehia.Jijel, their main motivations behind it, and the common strategies used for this behavior. In order to investigate these research aims, two questionnaires were addressed toEFL teachers and students.Also, an interview with students was carried out to crosscheck the results obtained from the aforementioned tool. The results show that most of students often cheat on exams and their most frequent motives for cheating are lack of preparation, desire for gaining better grades, and the feeling under pressure. In addition, the most common strategies students tend to used for cheating are technology devices, crib notes, and copying others’ work. Finally the study suggests a number of recommendations in order to help decrease the rate of cheating in exams.