Students’ Perception of Cheating and the Best Time to Cheat During Examinations

Abstract

This study presents a sociological overview of cheating, using sociological theories of deviance as an analytical lens in exploring the concept of cheating among university students in a public university in Ghana. This study used semi-structured interviews to collect data from undergraduate students. This study has revealed that both students and school authorities have their own constructs of what constitute an acceptable behavior during examinations. If students interpret and label some forms of communication in the exam as “team work, helping and a source of motivation”, it may explain the persistence of these forms of actions among students, irrespective of the deviant label put on it and measures put in place by school authorities to address it. Using this understanding as a basis, we argue that students will likely follow university instituted norms about examinations if they are made to understand clearly how following these norms is relevant and will benefit both their academic and future well-being. In doing so, the university must do more than simply making available the student’s guide handbook which specifies examination regulations.