An Organizational Systems Approach to the Causes of Academic Cheating: Interactions Among Rule Clarity, Purpose, and Role in School

Academic cheating attracts considerable attention as a problem that appears to undermine society's effort to prepare young people for responsible civic participation. Despite intense scrutiny, researchers continue to debate its causes. This investigation tested the application of an organizational systems theoretical approach to cheating. The experimental design included mixed methods and a sample involving grade 7--12 students, teachers, and parents in one international school. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six versions of an investigator-devised hypothetical collaborative learning scenario. Each version of the scenario varied according to three levels of rule clarity and two levels of purpose. Survey item one asked participants to read the scenario and rate whether or not they thought cheating had occurred. Survey item two asked participants to report a reason for the rating judgment by selecting from five button-box options and/or writing in their own open-ended comment. Separate analyses of variance were conducted for the rating data. Results showed that the rule clarity variable had a significant effect on teacher (not student or parent) judgments and the purpose variable had a significant effect on parent (not student or teacher) judgments. An interaction effect was found for the teacher data set. A content analysis of the follow-up responses found that four factors accounted for rating judgments: the clarity of rules, the purpose of the task, the nature of student collaboration, and school policy. The groups consistently reported that the attribution of cheating depended on the teacher's rule communication. Unclear rules can lead to a gray area in the interpretation of student intentions and behaviors. The role of grades is a further source of confusion. Findings support the theory that academic cheating has roots in the social environment of schooling. School leaders need to ensure that all community members understand and are in agreement about academic expectations.