Document Type

Report

Publication Date

7-1-1995

Keywords

Academic, Integrity, college, degree, parents, education, level, social, values, cheating, plagiarism

Abstract

Executive Summary: During the 1962-63 academic year, Western participated in a nationwide survey on cheating. In 1993, that survey was recreated and readministered, nationally and at Western, through the auspices of The Center for Academic Integrity--located in the Graduate School of Management at Rutgers University. For the 1993 administration, 302 valid survey forms were obtained from Western students, compared to 54 responses from students in 1962. In both years survey respondents were mostly female (53.7% in 1962 and 63.8% in 1993), and mostly white, non-Hispanic (100% in 1962 and 92.1% in 1993). Most other demographic comparisons of the 1962 and 1993 cohorts indicated a relatively high degree of homogeneity. Two exceptions were noted: I) the mothers of 1962 respondents were better educated than the fathers, and 2) nearly three-quarters of the 1962 cohort planned on education as a career, while just one-fifth of the 1993 cohort planned on education as a career, probably because in 1962 Western's reputation was still that of a teacher's college. (It was only in 1961 that the institution evolved from Western Washington College of Education to Western Washington State College.) When asked how often respondents had seen another student cheat during a test, 62.3% of the 1962 cohort indicated at least once, while 60.5% the 1993 cohort indicated at least once. Nationally, the figures were slightly higher: 68.7% for the 1962 cohort, and 67.6% for the 1993 cohort. Asked of the 1993 cohort only, the percentage of respondents who believed plagiarism occurred 'often' or 'very often' was 36.7% at Western and 46.7% nationally, while the percentage who believed that cheating during tests occurred 'often' or 'very often' was 40.1% at Western and 46.4% nationally. Students from the class of 1962 were more likely to have heard about incidents of cheating through official channels than were students from the class of 1993 (1962 = 54.9%;1993 = 10.4%). Most students from both eras indicated that if they were asked for help during a test or exam they would "ignore or turn down the request" (1962 = 78.9%; 1993 = 63.8%). Responses changed, however, depending on who was requesting help: respondents were more likely to help a friend and less likely to a "campus leader."

Identifier

374

Publisher

Digital object produced by Office of Survey Research, Western Washington University, and made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Cheating (Education); College students--Washington (State)--Conduct of life; College students--Washington (State)--Attitudes

Title of Series

Technical and research reports (Western Washington University. Office of Institutional Assessment and Testing) ; 1995-04

Genre/Form

Reports

Type

Text

Rights

This resource is provided for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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