SYMPTOMOLOGY OF ACADEMIC THEFT: DOES IT MATTER IF STUDENTS STEAL?

Abstract

Many research studies report that plagiarism is exponentially increasing in academic institutions worldwide where schools play a critical role in addressing the phenomenon. This action research was conducted at a science high school in Cagayan de Oro City to investigate students’ behavior on plagiarism and introduce an intervention strategy which was intended to curb, if not eradicate, academic plagiarism. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a methodological triangulation technique. Data management and analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and NVivo. The findings of the pre-intervention survey reveal that the extent of academic plagiarism was very high. Thus, a behavior-modifying assignment template was introduced as an intervention strategy. The study found that the intervention gradually changed the behavior of academic plagiarism as evidenced in the students’ assignment outputs. Ignorance of academic plagiarism and its consequence, time pressure and convenience had led the students to commit such act. Hence, the study recommends that the school in general, and the teachers and parents in particular, should promote academic integrity with a high level of tutelage and sincerity.