Cheating in the classroom - why too many exams may make things worse

Cheating in schools and exams has always gone on but it seems to be a growing problem. 80% of 'high-achieving' high-school students and 75% of college students admit to cheating - a percentage that has been rising for the last 50 years. Eric Anderman from Ohio State University spoke about this issue at the recent annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. He said that boys are more likely to cheat than girls. Also more likely to cheat are children with competitive 'type A' personalities and those with impulsive tendencies. Children became more likely to cheat as they moved through school and were subject to more frequent and 'high-stakes' testing. The more importance that was attached to passing exams the more likely children were to cheat. Children were less likely to cheat when the emphasis of teaching was on learning and understanding what was being taught, an approach which has also been found to help students learn better and remember things for longer.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025249.htm