Cheating and Integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cheating and Integrity - Essay Example Due to modern technology, people all over the globe can share and access different information. This sharing of information allows an area for everyone to manipulate these information and use them for individual convenience. Moreover, this situation eventually leads to cheating, an unethical behavior that causes the decline of the society. According to Lee (2009), cheating in school may simply be an extension of what is happening in the society. Recent studies on the various negative situations in the society have shifted its focus from the corporate standards to the academic standards for which the leaders of businesses and the political leaders of the next generation will son arise. There were significant findings that the scholars found necessary considering the inclusion of the study of ethics in the schools’ curriculum. Students’ exposure to various ethical standards, especially in the academic community may strengthen their resistance to unethical behaviors due to a higher priority to integrity. Exposing the students to the different unethical behaviors and decisions early on may affect their attitudes towards committing one in the future (Smyth et al, 2009). Cheating in the Classroom Cheating comes in different styles and forms. Gerdeman (2000) identified the different manifestation of cheating inside the classroom, specifically in the community colleges or universities such as cheating on exams, plagiarism, falsifying bibliographies, taking credit for someone else's work, receiving improper help from others, and facilitating cheating by others. In addition, Nath and Lavaglia (2009) further includes stealing a test and fabricating academic documents are but among other forms of cheating inside the classroom. In a study conducted by Volpe (2008) (p. 7) on the attitudes and behaviors of the faculty with regards to cheating, it was found that members in the academe underestimate the amount of cheating in the classroom. This result is an irony to students' self-reported rate of students who cheat. This discrepancy between the instructors and the students is a reflection of how diversified professionals and students are in their perception about cheating. As a result, this also leads t the argument that the student may see cheating as a minor offense instead of a high-risk factor affecting the integrity of the institution and the society as well. Taking the issue too lightly by the instructors greatly influences the perception of students towards cheating. There are, on the other hand different factors that initiate cheating. The need to graduate or to get a good grade is the most common factor that encourages students to cheat. Marital status is also another factor such that married students are more likely to cheat than the non-married students. Sorority and fraternity memberships also increase the chances of students cheating such that they wanted to spend more time with their friends than studying. Age is another factor in cheating whereas younger students cheat more than older ones. Finally, the students' major in the university affects their probability of cheating (Nath & Lavaglia, 2009). As common cheating may be in the classroom, studies also provide results that show that students have varying affections in relation to this issue. In a study conducted by Firmin et al (2009), diverse emotions have been observed from the respondents who were witnesses to peer cheating in completing their tests. Such varying emotions were classified as hostility, anxiety and empathy. Some respondents thought the act as unfair, while some felt annoyed and frustrated. There were those who felt responsible for being a witness to such