August 11, 2009

Student cheating can be cured, expert says

Research has shown how to motivate kids so they are much less likely to cheat, but the findings are often not put into practice, U.S. researchers said.

We know when kids cheat, why kids cheat and how kids cheat, Eric Anderman, an expert on student cheating at Ohio State University, said in a statement.

Anderman told the American Psychological Association meeting in Toronto that cheating among students is widespread and has been growing -- studies show up to 80 percent of high-achieving high school students and 75 percent of college students admit to cheating.

Studies have shown that boys cheat more than girls, high-driving type-A personalities are more likely to cheat and there is little relationship between cheating and moral development, Anderman said.

Research shows cheating is less likely to occur when the goal for students is personal mastery of the material, while cheating is more likely to occur in classrooms that focus on test performance.

It doesn't help when teachers always talk about 'the test' and reminding students that something 'will be on the test.' The goal should be learning, and not test-taking, Anderman said.