BUILDING ETHICAL COMMUNITIES

Dr. Donald McCabe, also known as, “Dr. Ethics” is a recently retired professor of Management and Global Business at Rutgers University. He devoted his research to questions of student integrity in their academic work. He has also worked as a consultant to schools that wish to change their existing policies.

I asked Professor McCabe some questions about his research and beliefs regarding academic dishonesty.

Are there specific strategies that teachers need or can use to address academic dishonesty?

McCabe: There are a variety of strategies available, all of which have both supporters and critics…While at least some, and perhaps many, feel I am naïve, I feel that the only way to solve this problem of cheating in the long run is to create an environment in our schools that encourages honest work by students. While others keep looking for a quicker fix, I don’t think there is one that will have a lasting impact…In my view, teachers need to start the hard work of changing the environment in their classrooms away from an emphasis on grades to one on learning. Not an easy task and one that will require the cooperation of parents.

What is the parent’s role?

McCabe: Indeed, this will be a very challenging task for parents – perhaps impossible. (We live at a time) when the world economy is shifting in ways that may suggest lesser opportunities for the rising generation of American students, and staying in school probably will become an even more important barometer of future success…Basically parents need to help their children understand that integrity and honesty are more important than simple academic success. Unfortunately, few parents probably believe this in the case of their own children – especially when their children note that others are getting ahead by cheating. In many ways, for the sake of the larger society, we need parents who are willing to accept that their children may not do as well financially as their parents have done.

How does dishonesty evolve over a child’s academic career?

McCabe: Children in the early elementary grades are consumed to some extent with the question of fairness… I feel strongly that (middle school) is a point where friends are encouraging each other not to always listen to everything that their parents and authority figures have to say and, in most school systems, junior high is when students begin to have a variety of different teachers versus the one strong parental substitute we probably all remember from our early school years. The “removal” of such an authority figure at a time when children are starting to spread their own wings a bit seems to come together in a sort of “perfect storm” and there are data which suggests this is when cheating in school becomes a greater problem.

How has technology helped/hampered cheating?

McCabe: This is a double-edged sword. While allowing teachers to more effectively check for plagiarism, etc, it has also given students many new “weapons” to use to try to deceive teachers…It’s not clear yet where this will settle out but for a number of years the advantage has been with students who understand, and know how to use these technologies more effectively than most teachers – myself included.

  

Contact Margaret Lavin at elementarydays@gmail.com.