There are many students who cheat or get a strong urge to do so in academics, mainly in school. In fact, a vast majority of people have cheated in some form at least once. There are countless reasons as to why, ranging from small reasons to big and important ones. But what are the common causes of it?
Why do students cheat?
Academic dishonesty refers to cheating in academics, which includes school or academies, but can actually be anything in a type of higher education that relies on studying and reasoning. Many pupils have acted in this manner. In a 2012 study centered on a specific high school in New York City, it was discovered that academic dishonesty was a much more serious problem than it might appear, even in elite schools. According to 2012 Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics research, more than half of high school students acknowledged cheating on a test before, and 74% admitted to copying their friends’ homework. Following that, a survey of over 700,000 high school students in the United States between 2002 and 2015 revealed that 58% of them had cheated on a test or an exam at least once, 64% had committed plagiarism, and a whopping 95% admitted to some form of cheating, with some of them possibly lying, implying that these percentages could be even higher (Simmons, 2018).
Now, there are numerous reasons or excuses students might have for cheating, but here are some of the biggest ones:
- Students are losing motivation for their studies in greater numbers than ever before. According to an American Addiction Center survey, roughly 88% of kids of all ages report that school is stressful. In nations where working as a student is permitted, juggling studies with jobs, relationships, or illness is particularly difficult. In today’s world, where studying is more of a chore than a chance to better oneself, it is all too easy to lose the desire to learn.
- With the introduction of the internet, cheating has become a much easier task to pull off than ever before. It has almost any answer to any kind of problem and is accessible to many. It could be very tempting to use the internet for difficult tasks, and while it is true that it is arguably the best method of acquiring knowledge, simply learning and cheating are completely different matters.
- Passing classes and gaining a degree are far more significant to many students than the process of learning itself. In an already stressful atmosphere, most students are under unspoken pressure to perform well on tests. Many people would rather ignore education and pass it easily than work hard for it (Gido, 2023).
Most students who cheat do it just enough to maintain their reputation as honest students while maintaining decent marks. And they perceive themselves as honest and smart students, so their cheating is totally justified by whatever explanations they have. Adolescent pupils have a tendency to be unaware of, or simply ignore, the risks and consequences that follow their behaviors, which are driven by biological processes (Simmons, 2018).
Cheating with ChatGPT
ChatGPT, or Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a highly intelligent chatbot that can answer questions, solve issues, and even produce codes when asked. Cheating using the application has become a growing problem, with so many students using it for assignments, essays, articles, and so on. These issues also lead to plagiarism, which is not currently being addressed. However, schools around the world are creating new tools to determine whether or not they employ ChatGPT or any other sort of artificial intelligence, and they are also requiring verification from pupils (Klein, 2023).
(Gido, S).,2023. Why Do Students Cheat? One Student’s Perspective | Cengage. [online] Today’s Learner. Available at: https://todayslearner.cengage.com/why-do-students-cheat-a-student-perspective/ [Accessed 18 November 2023].
(Klein, A).,2023. ChatGPT Cheating: What to Do When It Happens. Education Week. [online] 21 Feb. Available at: https://www.edweek.org/technology/chatgpt-cheating-what-to-do-when-it-happens/2023/02 [Accessed 18 November 2023].
(Simmons, A).,2018. Why Students Cheat—and What to Do About It. [online] Edutopia. Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-students-cheat-and-what-do-about-it/ [Accessed 18 November 2023].
