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Abstract

A challenging aspect of online education is assessment since academic integrity could be violated due to students’ cheating behaviors. The current qualitative research investigated English teachers’ perceptions of why students cheat in online assessments. Besides, it attempted to find strategies to reduce cheating in online assessments. Twelve teachers (seven males and five females) with at least 5 years of teaching experience in different high schools in Tabriz, Iran, participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using MAXQDA version 2022. Freedom in the absence of an invigilator, unpreparedness for assessment, getting better grades/outcomes, low self-esteem/self-confidence, shortage of time/poor time management, peer influence or competition, not taking assessment seriously, fear of failure/bad assessment outcomes, and lack of respect for academic rules/the teacher were some reasons of cheating in online assessment revealed by the analysis of the data. The teachers suggested strategies to curb cheating in online assessment, such as randomizing questions, using open-ended and essay-format questions, designing different test methods and question types, restricting exam time, designing learner-specific questions, showing one question at a time, and providing clear exam instructions. The study has some pedagogical implications for faculty members and administrators.

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1009240
Location
Title
Cheating in online assessment: a qualitative study on reasons and coping strategies focusing on EFL teachers’ perceptions
Author
Jalilzadeh, Kaveh 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rashtchi, Mojgan 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mirzapour, Fatemeh 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 University of Cerrahpasa, School of Foreign Languages, Istanbul, Turkey 
 North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, TEFL Department, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Tehran, Iran (GRID:grid.411463.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 0706 2472) 
 Islamic Azad University, Department of English, Sofiyan Branch, Sofiyan, Iran (GRID:grid.472325.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 0493 9058) 
Publication title
Volume
14
Issue
1
Pages
29
Publication year
2024
Publication date
Dec 2024
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
Place of publication
Heidelberg
Country of publication
Netherlands
Publication subject
e-ISSN
22290443
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
Document type
Journal Article
Publication history
 
 
Online publication date
2024-07-24
Milestone dates
2024-07-18 (Registration); 2024-03-12 (Received); 2024-07-17 (Accepted)
Publication history
 
 
   First posting date
24 Jul 2024
ProQuest document ID
3084105472
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/cheating-online-assessment-qualitative-study-on/docview/3084105472/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.
Last updated
2025-11-08
Database
4 databases
  • Coronavirus Research Database
  • Education Research Index
  • ProQuest One Academic
  • ProQuest One Academic