An Investigation into School of Arts First Year Students Perceptions of Plagiarism

1. An Investigation into School of Arts First Year Students Perceptions of Plagiarism Debra Cairns and Franzel du Plooy-Cilliers

2. Research Questions • Why do first year students plagiarise? • Is this the reason? Or is it more complex? • Do students really understand what plagiarism means? • Do students have sufficient abilities in English (writing and speaking) to cope with their academic demands? • Are students equipped with the academic skills to avoid plagiarism? Because they want to cheat to get ahead

3. Background • Traditional student bodies at universities worldwide have been changing to reflect greater multiculturalism and variability (Lea & Street, 1998; Vandeyar, 2003) • In SA, political changes have left higher education institutions with the task of providing access and opportunities to students whose schooling may not sufficiently have prepared them for tertiary education (Van Wyk, 2002) • MSA’s particular mandate provides a huge diversity in languages, cultures and practices on campus MSA lecturers share a common experience with lecturers UK, Canada and Australia in their perception that standards of student literacy are falling, and that students can no longer write (Lawrence, 2003; Lea & Street, 1998)

4. Background • Multiculturalism: Theoretically, embraced. • In practice, universities display an assimilation agenda, and expect students to acquire the privileged discourse of academic power, while their own unique discourses, ways of knowing and ways of communicating are considered liabilities (Eijkman, 2003; Vandeyar, 2003) An academic literacies approach views the institutions in which academic practices take place as constituted in and as sites of discourse and power… From the student point of view a dominant feature of academic literacy practices is the requirement to switch practices between one setting and another, to deploy a repertoire of linguistic practices appropriate to each setting, and to handle the social meanings and identities that each evokes (Lea & Street, 1999)

5. Background • What should our response be to this dilemma? • Attempt to grant access to and familiarity with the privileged discourse of academic power • To also respect and dignify the subcultures and ways of knowing and practicing that have shaped and will continue to shape their development

6. Background The importance of academic writing • = the key to access the privileged discourse of higher education • Ability to switch linguistic codes according to context becomes critical (Chimbganda, 2001, Lea & Street, 1998) • Problem: • Second Language Speakers • initial vocabulary poor – so difficult to assimilate abstract (academic) concepts • Language is thus decontextualised

7. Background Plagiarism is a complex, contested concept, and in student academic writing it may be the surface manifestation of complex learning difficulties which relate to the educational environment, the nature of academic discourse and the nature of language Shelley Angelil-Carter (2000) Academic Development Programme, UCT • Thus, perhaps the knee jerk response, that plagiarism is a deliberate act of academic theft needs to be re-examined

8. Background • Lea and Street (1998) suggest that there is an unquestioned assumption that both lecturer and student share the same interpretation and understanding of the term Plagiarism • Student confusion on the issue indicates clearly not the case • Lea and Street further maintain that the authoritative, legalistic discourse round plagiarism silences students attempts to negotiate their understanding of the issue in a neutral setting

9. Background Speculation on some of the complex, intertwined factors in student plagiarism: • Relevance/meaning of terms such as “academic ownership” and “acknowledgement of ideas” • Difficulties with second language acquisition • Difficulties with skills such as summarising/paraphrasing • Disorganised in time management

10. Methodology Participants • 172 first year students from School of Arts, Monash, South Africa • 2 samples • 1 pilot study (n=42); qualitative data only • 1 main study (n=130) • 18-25 years (M=21; SD=3.6) • Females (n=93) • Males (n=35)

11. Methodology Participants – cont • Many different nationalities represented: • South African (31%) • Zimbabwean (25%) • Botswanan (20%) • The rest from other African countries such as Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria, Congo • Home language: • English (42%) • Setswana (18%) • Shona (14%) • Other (26%)

12. Methodology Materials • Questionnaire developed based on pilot study

13. Methodology: Design Action Research A research methodology in which the researcher becomes actively involved in planning and introducing a change and then monitors and evaluates the effect of the change. The information gathered then feeds into a new Action Research Cycle • WHY? • Suitability for investigating and implementing changes in educational practice (Carson, Connors, Smits & Ripley, 1989; Heydenrych, 2001) • “Emancipatory” – allows for freedom and change in areas not considered open for change

14. Methodology Triangulation • Qualitative data: Open-ended questions • Quantitative data: frequencies of responses to close-ended questions

15. Results

16. What do First Year School of Arts Students understand by the term Plagiarism? (n=172) Technical Skills Not acknowledging them Not giving them credit Not referencing (80%) Morality (Values) Using another person’s work Copying someone else’s ideas Deliberately stealing Claiming the work as your own Claiming the credit for yourself (97%) 78% of responses combined these ideas Conclusion: Students understand the definition of the term

17. 2 a) In your opinion, have you been adequately informed about what plagiarism is? (n=130) 87.7% 12.3%

18. 2 b) Have you been adequately informed about the penalties for plagiarism? (n=130) 87.7% 12.3%

19. 2 c) Have you been told how to avoid plagiarism? (n=130) 83.1% 2.3% 13.8%

20. What do First Year School of Arts Students understand by the term Collusion? (n= 172) Don’t Know (25%) No response (23%) Cheating together (2) Mutually co-operating Sharing of work (written) (28%) Group Discussion/ Group work handed in as individual’s work (11%) Taking/stealing fellow student’s ideas/ Handing in someone else’s work as yours (without acknowmt) (9%) Unauthorised by Lecturer (no consent) (7%) Getting help from others (undefined) (1.7%)

21. Why do you think Universities make such a big issue about Plagiarism? (n=172) For the sake of the Student (49%) To make students think for themselves Train them to produce their own work Show originality Show their true ability Develop skills Legally/Morally Wrong (37%) Plagiarism is cheating Because it’s a crime It’s wrong claiming s/one elses ideas Not fair to owner of ideas It/s illegal; Against the law Penalty is severe 11%com-bined these ideas For the sake of the University (12%) Discredits the university Devalues the degree and the name of the university Makes the university a questionable institution

22. Describe some of the reasons why you think students may plagiarise (n=172) Intentional Unintentional Laziness (38%) Too lazy to reference Lazy to do their own work Easy way out Ignorance (47%) Lack of knowledge Lack of skills = how to Put things in own words/ How to reference How to paraphrase Don’t understand Poor Time Managmt (28%) Lack of prepn time No time left/ Desperate to complete Assignment (28%) Battle with assignment Lecturer didn’t explain v. difficult topic Stress (8%) Stress from studying Volume of reading Work demands Selfish gain (11%) To get ahead/ ego To be rewarded To sound intelligent Only 2 participants mentioned second language difficulties

23. Consider some of the following circumstances and decide whether you would view the plagiarism as justifiable

24. If you weren’t taught at school that it was unacceptable to plagiarise (n=130) 31% 28% 10% 13% 14% 4%

25. When you write down notes from a book or hear something in class and then can’t find or remember the original source (n=130) 8% 38% 21% 18% 11% 4%

26. When you have left out references in the text of your assignment, but included them in the reference list at the end (n=130) 15% 33% 15% 17% 15% 5%

27. When you have referenced authors in the text of your assignment but have not put them in the reference list at the end (n=130) 16% 33% 11% 25% 13% 2%

28. When you are forced to do an assignment at the last minute due to illness (n=130) 11% 19% 15% 29% 22% 4%

29. When you are not sure how to paraphrase the writer’s material i.e. how to put it in your own words (n=130) 11% 18% 19% 32% 18% 2%

30. When you leave your assignment to the last minute due to poor time management skills (n=130) 5% 15% 72% 3% 3% 2%

31. When you are not a first language English Speaker (n=130) 8% 19% 20% 18% 32% 3%

32. When the assignment is very difficult and the lecturer hasn’t explained it adequately (n=130) 13% 21% 21% 21% 21% 3%

33. When you are really struggling with the course in general (n=130) 6% 12% 20% 37% 22% 3%

34. When you didn’t know the idea was someone else’s (n=130) 32% 30% 12% 17% 6% 3%

35. When you were unaware of proper referencing techniques (n=130) 14% 38% 11% 20% 14% 3%

36. How do First Year School of Arts students feel about the penalties for plagiarism? (n=172) Fair (37%) Fair, BUT… (16%) Unfair/Harsh (12%) Comments / Recommendations Should be an investigation into WHY (4%) Concern about first occasion and possibility of ignorance (plagiarising unknowingly) (27%) Expulsion is not fair (6%) Recommendation of a workshop/ tuition on plagiarism/ referencing for offender (6%)

37. Consider some of the following suggestions to assist in preventing plagiarism and indicate which ones you personally would find useful (you may tick more than one option)

38. Talk aimed at new students during Orientation Week (n=130) 75% 11% 7% 7%

39. First tutorial for all courses spent on teaching how to reference (n=130) 87% 5% 5% 3% 7%

40. Voluntary workshop on how to summarise and paraphrase (n=130) 5% 77% 8% 10%

41. Voluntary workshop on referencing (n=130) 5% 79% 3% 13%

42. A compulsory first semester unit in Academic Writing which, among others, covers issues related to plagiarism and referencing (n=130) 63% 14% 15% 2% 6%

43. Recommendations • University lecturers play crucial role in helping students by making their discourses “explicit” • Not only to clarify the rules, but also to express those expectations that are only implied • i.e. verbalise those behaviours and practices considered simply “common sense”