Poor time management and fear of failure are a few reasons students plagiarise, said a lecturer at the Institute of Education at the British University in Dubai (BUiD) recently.
In an ongoing study aimed at pushing the plagiarism debate forward, Dr Ruqiyabi Naz Awan included constant pressure for students to perform well, cultural differences and increased internet usage as other reasons that drive students towards plagiarism.
Referring to a recent survey conducted on 2,600 students in the UAE, Awan said: "Students in the UAE justified cheating by noting how difficult some of their courses were. In effect students felt they were justified to plagiarise and cheat because they felt the courses developed were too difficult for them."
Inconsistencies
Awan said academics have their own definition of plagiarism "but I'm more interested in finding out if they know what their institution's definition and policy of plagiarism is".
Awan also spoke about the recognition that there is inconsistency in the way the subject of plagiarism is dealt with, within and across departments of academic institutions. "The other notion is that academics are not happy with the formal procedures in place."
Awan said a lack of study skills and being underprepared for university could drive students to engage in plagiarism.
"If we can't ensure they are fully prepared to handle course content at university then it's our responsibility to provide them with the support they need," she said.
By support Awan means access to academic advisers and study skills centres and not tutors and lecturers. "The [educational] background they [students] come from, doesn't lend itself to the system they find themselves in. They are not equipped, at the point they enter university, with the skills they need to perform well in that very programme," she said.
