Prospective Mathematics Teachers and Cheating: It is a Lie If I Say I Have Never Cheated!

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal reasons why prospective mathematics teachers engage in cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty. For this aim, an open-ended question was administered to 48 forth year student teachers. They wrote and submitted one or two-page reflection papers. Their written responses were qualitatively analyzed to get the most common themes. Findings indicated that 81% of them cheated and their most practiced behaviors were writing the crib notes on the desk, copying from another student, and permitting another student to look at their answers. The rest (19%) claimed that they have never cheated for fearing that they could be caught and penalized or because of their moral beliefs and values and being successful on their own.