Role of moral judgments and persistence in elementary school students' academic cheating

Academic dishonesty is a pervasive issue that impacts educational outcomes and character development. Despite its significance, our understanding of cheating behaviors among elementary school students remains very limited. Addressing this gap, this study examined the role of moral judgments of cheating and persistence in academic cheating among elementary school students from Grades 2, 4, and 6. We found that approximately 25% of elementary school students reported having cheated academically, regardless of grade and gender. Importantly, students' moral judgments and persistence were significantly and uniquely associated with academic cheating. Students who viewed cheating as more morally wrong and demonstrated higher persistence were less likely to cheat. These two factors help explain the relationships between students' beliefs about the acceptability of cheating, the commonality of peer cheating, the severity of the consequences of cheating, and self-reported cheating behavior. These findings confirm the early emergence of academic cheating and highlight the pivotal roles of moral judgment and persistence. They underscore the importance of educational practices from the elementary school years that challenge cheating-normalizing attitudes, emphasize the consequences of dishonesty, and foster moral understanding and persistence, thereby promoting academic integrity.