Cheating in the Classroom

Cheating is becoming more and more of a problematic issue in education in many classrooms around the world. The issue of cheating is far however from being solved: cell phones and text messages have become an additional culprit for cheating on tests and it is uncertain how future technology will continue to affect the cheating situation.

Causes for Cheating in School

Students cheat because of many reasons, the main being that they don't feel they can succeed on the the test and as a result, they feel a need to cover up for whatever weaknesses they may have.

In the meantime however, it is important for you to know where you as a new or seasoned teacher stand with regard to cheating in elementary, middle and High School. It is also equally important to know what other teachers' feelings regarding cheating. Do they...

Feel strongly about cheating, respond strongly when it happens?
Punish it when it happens, but don't convey strong indignation.
Respond not very assertively, would really rather not know.
Don't take any notice.
Stop Cheating in School: Classroom scenarios before the test

The atmosphere at school can definitely exacerbate the cheating situation. But, there are instances when a child believes in his or her ability to succeed, which has a positive effect on his or her learning and self-esteem.

When students plan and design their own test questions together for instance, with the teacher and under teacher supervision and guidance they are not only digesting the information, but they are working towards higher level thinking skills, which are not always taught in conjunction with the child's needs and abilities. Test administration can be rethought to to lay out new expectations regarding class time for preparation for tests.

What Should You Do?

If you find yourself still in an awkward situation, unable to stretch beyond the curriculum definitions and limitations, it is important to find out what is the school policy on cheating so that you know where you stand in case you do run into instances of cheating.

Your first line of defense is to prepare multiple versions of the same test. This is completely free shareware. It works for all questions. You can download a copy from this site. Just click on the header on the top of the page.

In addition, here is a list of responses, which might be part of your school policy or you might wish to bring it up with your school staff. What other reactions prevail by other teachers regarding cheating?

no credit for the test or assignment cheated on
negative grade on the test or assignment
sent to the principal
sent to the class teacher
private talk with the teacher
discussion with the whole class (no names mentioned) on rights and wrongs. (follow-up, should be immediate)
class discussion leading to clarification of rules and penalties about cheating. (follow-up, should be immediate)
It should be very clear to pupils about the code of cheating and what types of behavior will not be tolerated. Kids are always looking where to stretch the limits (especially now with the new technology )and it is important that you are backed up by school policy and / or the decisions of your particular staff, before you commit to informing the students on a consequence that has not been implemented previously.

Classroom Situations: Have you come across cheating in one of your classes? What happened? Share your experiences.

Good testing!

This article was previously published online at: http://www.newteachersupport.suite101.com

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