Explaining reasons for cheating in exams among undergraduate nursing students: a qualitative study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Cheating in exams is a common problem in many educational settings. This issue is critical in the medical field because it can have a long-term impact on the health of society. Therefore, this study aims to explore the reasons why undergraduate nursing students cheat in exams. METHODS: This qualitative content analysis study was conducted in 2024, involving 15 participants, comprising six undergraduate nursing students, five faculty members, a dean of the nursing college, a vice-chancellor of educational affairs, an expert in educational affairs, and an in-charge for exam administration, who were purposefully selected. Individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect information. Then, the data was analyzed using Elo and Kyngas' inductive content analysis approach with the help of MAXQDA 2020 software. Also, Elo et al.'s checklist was used to check the trustworthiness of the data. RESULTS: The number of extracted final codes was 96, which were divided into two main themes and four categories, including personal (intrapersonal and interpersonal) and organizational factors (weakness in educational policies and implementation problems). CONCLUSION: These findings can significantly influence the development of future educational policies and practices. Therefore, educational policymakers should pay special attention to this issue and take adequate measures to address the root causes of exam cheating.

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