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1. Cheating in the Classroom: Student-Teacher DynamicsMason Quick Results: Before tutoring our student, the coordinator would meet with all tutors and give us assignments to work on with our students. Most times the would tell us that the material or process trying to be taught would be on their end of the year state test. They were using us to help “teach to the test”. This shows me that the school is placing a lot of importance on getting a good grade, and ignoring the importance of teaching students to learn to better their own lives. As far as observing the previously mentioned factors, I did notice my student was always trying to get the answer from me instead of attempting the problems herself. While I could attribute this to cheating, I chalk it up to being a 3rd grade students that has some mild focus problems. That being said, I do feel like the school I was placed into was a very traditional school that puts a lot of pressure on students to achieve a high test score. Inquiry Question: What factors leads to students cheating in the classroom? • Preliminary research: • Various publications noted that students are more likely to cheat if certain factors are at play, those factors include: • Perceiving everyone else as doing it • Trying to obtain a high GPA instead of gaining knowledge • An over inflated desire for better grades • Cheating is not seen has harmful to self or others • Low risk versus high reward • Traditional schools play into the cheating culture because of an over emphasis on getting the “A” instead of bettering them self. Eric M. Anderman’s study into two different styles of high schools, Traditional and democratic, found that when the importance was shifted towards learning for the purpose of bettering yourself, that students reduced the amount of cheating because it was seen as a hindrance to their education. Conclusion and Personal implications: By researching this topic I feel that I am better suited to teach in a traditional high school that strives to have high test scores. I will be aware that students will attempt to cheat off of one another to get high marks. Using the knowledge I learned through observation and research I can now create a teaching philosophy which strives to show students the important of learning the materials, not only because they will be graded on it, but because this will aid the in their future lives. If I can help students to realize that cheating can hurt them in the long run, then I feel that my job is that much more rewarding, because I know that those students will appreciate the education they are receiving. Methods: To attempt to observe cheating in a real classroom, I participated in a tutoring program through the University of Cincinnati. I was paired with a 3rd grader, whom we will call Tammy to protect her privacy, that attends an urban elementary school. I visited with her for one hour a week for 8 weeks, and would help her work on topics that she was struggling with. During my time I would observe her as well as other students in an attempt to observe any of these factors. Sources: Dan Ariely: Why we think it's OK to cheat and steal (sometimes) Ted talk. Uploaded on Mar 18, 2009 Motivation and cheating during early adolescence. Anderman, Eric M.; Griesinger, Tripp; Westerfield, Gloria Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 90(1), Mar 1998, 84-93. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.90.1.84 Situational and Personal Causes of Student Cheating. Rettinger, David A.; Kramer, Yair Research in Higher Education, vol 50(3), May 2009, 293-313. 10.1007/s11162-008-9116-5