How COVID-19 Quarantine Influenced Online Exam Cheating: A Case of Bangladesh University Students

Abstract

This study aims to identify, through qualitative research, the influence of COVID-19 on student online exam cheating, specifically e-cheating, during the COVID-19 quarantine in Bangladesh university online classes in 2020. The researcher obtained the primary data from 23 undergraduate university students (13 males and ten females) who willingly responded to a semi-structured interview via Messenger Interview. Using grounded theory analysis, the author found that quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused and increased levels of anxiety and stress among students, which, in turn, has promoted e-cheating. The stress and anxiety allow students to justify their unethical behavior in online classes and cheating on online exams. The study results also show several factors that have contributed to online exam cheating. These factors include social pressure, peer pressure, academic pressure, not using software programs that monitor e-cheating, finding it easy to cheat, willingness to get grade point averages, and worries about jobs. Besides, this study also develops a conceptual framework for the COVID-19 e-cheating model that explains how COVID-19, stress, and anxiety predict the frequency of dishonest behaviors among students, specifically cheating during online exams, and can be used for further qualitative research studies. Finally, the study results can be used as guidelines for faculty members when considering assignments, homework, exams, and how to monitor online exams.