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Preventing Plagiarism 1
Running head: TEACHING METHODS REDUCE PLAGIARISM
Prevent Plagiarism Through the Implementation of Inquiry-Based Curriculum
MAT 640
Submitted to Professor Jacqueline Campbell
By
Stephanie Greer
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Master of Education in Cross Cultural Teaching
National University
Inglewood, CA
May 31,2003
ABSTRACT
Preventing Plagiarism 2
This report investigates the correlation between inquiry-based teaching methods and the
prevention of plagiarism in the K-12 classroom. After comparing recent articles regarding
plagiarism prevention strategies, it became increasingly evident that specific strategies
must be implemented in the classroom in order to discourage plagiarism. These strategies
can be organized under the following headings: 1) Students should understand the rules
of ethical writing; 2) Assignments should be manageable; 3) Ethical writing should lead
to personally important benefits; 4) Plagiarism should be difficult; and 5) Plagiarism
should lead to personally important costs (Malouff, 1996). After examining strategies, it
can be deduced that inquiry-based methods of teaching curriculum are most conducive to
the implementation of suggested plagiarism prevention strategies.
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Preventing Plagiarism 3
Plagiarism is a growing concern for teachers at all levels of education. Why do
students plagiarize? The problem begins in elementary schools. When primary grade
teachers do not directly address the issue of plagiarism in their classrooms, students do
not learn that it is an unethical practice (Petress, 2003). Many students commit plagiarism
unknowingly. They move through the educational system without being taught how not
to plagiarize and without associating plagiarism with dishonesty.
The solution to this problem lies in the teaching practices of teachers. Teachers
must implement curriculum that will improve the information literacy of elementary
school children. This is achieved when teachers educate themselves about effective
classroom strategies for implementing problem-based curriculum, and when teachers
adapt specific models for teaching research methods to their students. Multiple sources
suggest that by using authentic, inquiry-based curriculum, as well as teaching specific
approaches to research methods, teachers empower students with the skills they need to
successfully make inquiries, follow a line of investigation, and create products that are
not plagiarized (Hinchliffe, 1998, Starr, 2003).
Background of the Study
Plagiarism has become normative in academic institutions. In Donald McCabe’s
2001 study, involving 4500 high school students, entitled “Student Cheating in American
High Schools”, it was reported that 70% of the students admitted to seriously cheating
and 52% of the students admitted to copying sentences directly from the internet for use
in research papers (Scribner, 2003). Teachers are increasingly aware of this upsurge of
academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
For some teachers, this heightened awareness of student plagiarism has led to
teaching practices that create an environment of mistrust in the classroom. For example,
Preventing Plagiarism 4
Janowski (2002) says that many teachers resort to the “Gotcha!” approach of confronting
plagiarism in their classrooms; teachers wait until the act of plagiarism has already been
committed, and then focus on catching the perpetrator. This claim is supported by the
number of websites and software programs recently designed to establish whether papers
have been plagiarized or not. One such website, turnitin.com, is currently being used by
teachers in over 1200 schools around the world for the explicit purpose of identifying
papers that have been plagiarized (Minkel, 2002).
Other teachers are hesitant to confront the issue of plagiarism at all. They fear
taking action because they worry they will not be supported by administrators and parents
(Petress, 2003). These fears are justified. When science teacher, Christine Pelton, flunked
28 of her students after proving they had plagiarized a major botany assignment, she was
forced to retract her actions and pass students due to lack of support from both parents
and district administrators (Carrol, 2002).
Many districts do not have clearly established rules or policies regarding
plagiarism and academic dishonesty. According to Minkel (2002), when his article, “Web
of Deceit” was written, the Oregon School Boards Association had no policies addressing
plagiarism in local districts. The tendency to not define plagiarism, to not establish strict
policies, and to not enforce those policies is common. These poor practices are often cited
as key factors for why students plagiarize (Pincuss, 2003, Scribner, 2003).
Several studies concerning plagiarism consider the effects of establishing an
honor code, or honesty contract(citations). The effectiveness of honor codes as deterrents
to plagiarism is inconclusive. Gary Niels (1996), author of “Academic Practices, School
Culture and Cheating Behavior”, writes that honor codes have the potential to effectively
Preventing Plagiarism 5
deter academic dishonesty, but only if the entire school community embraces and “buys
in” to the honor code.
While establishing honor codes, providing clear definitions and policies in regards
to plagiarism, supporting teachers who take decisive action against academic dishonesty,
and use of software programs designed to catch plagiarists are methods that are likely to
help reduce plagiarism, they are often only effective once the dishonest acts have been
committed. To effectively discourage plagiarism before it is committed, teachers must
modify their classroom teaching practices.
Statement of the Problem
Many students are not learning in authentic, inquiry-based learning environments
and therefore are not learning research strategies that are necessary for solving relevant
problems. This is significant because the lack of relevance in curriculum combined with a
deficiency in formal research skills compels students to commit plagiarism.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to establish that implementing inquiry-based teaching
practices and teaching research using specific strategies or models will help to prevent
plagiarism in schools.
Research Questions
The following research questions will guide this study: What motivates students
to plagiarize? What are the existing strategies for preventing plagiarism? How does the
use of authentic teaching practices, specifically, inquiry based and research-based
teaching methodologies, affect a student’s tendency to plagiarize?
Assumptions
In conducting this research, the author has assumed:
Preventing Plagiarism 6
a) That inquiry-based curriculums are not being used in a majority of elementary
schools;
b) That a majority of elementary school students are not taught research methods
using specific research models; and
c) That despite the fact that many plagiarism prevention strategies have been
suggested, many schools fail to take specific measures to apply known strategies.
Delimitations
The research was limited to the present scope due to the time constraints of the
research class. The researcher restricted this study to reviewing literature of primary and
secondary sources. The reviews were selected based on their relevance to the purpose of
this study.
Definitions
The following list of definitions is offered to provide clarity in understanding the
content of this study:
Authenticity: Authenticity refers to “the extent to which a lesson, assessment task,
or sample of student performance represents construction of knowledge through the use
of disciplined inquiry that has some value or meaning beyond success in school (Abilene
USD, n.d.).” Authentic curriculum leads to personal and individual understanding of
ideas and concepts being learned.
Information Literacy: The Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL)
define Information Literacy Standards as: "an understanding and set of abilities enabling
individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the capacity to locate,
evaluate, and use effectively the needed information".
Preventing Plagiarism 7
Inquiry-based Learning: “Inquiry-based learning is a process where students
formulate investigative questions, obtain factual information, and then build knowledge
that ultimately reflects their answer to the original question (Jakes and Pennington,
2002).” Inquiry-based instruction requires that students conduct research. Throughout
the paper, the term inquiry-based learning will be used interchangeably with the term
problem-based learning.
Paper Mill: Paper mill is a term that refers to any website that offers
downloadable, pre-written papers either free or for a fee.
Plagiarism: "Plagiarism occurs when a sequence of ideas is transferred from a
source to a paper without the process of digestion, integration, and reordering in the
writer's mind, and without acknowledgment in the paper (Starr, 1997)."
The term plagiarism often refers to all forms of academic dishonesty, including
copying on tests, taking exams for someone, doing another student’s work and obtaining
copies of tests in advance. However, for the purpose of this study, plagiarism will refer
specifically to the acts of: 1) Copying words directly from sources without including
citations, 2) incorrectly using quotations, 3) inventing citations, quotations, anecdotes, or
sources, 4) submitting papers or projects that have been cut and paste from various
internet and CD-ROM sources, 5) submitting papers that have been written partially, or
entirely by someone else, for example a previous student, an older sibling, or a parent,
and 6) submitting papers that have been purchased or downloaded from an Internet paper
mill.
Relevance: Relevance describes a students’ perception of the value of any
particular lesson. The relevance of a lesson is considered great when a student feels that
Preventing Plagiarism 8
the learning can be applied both socially and practically and when the learning is
authentic.
Research: The American Heritage Dictionary (2000) defines research as a
systematic investigation to establish facts (n.), a search for knowledge (n.), an attempt to
find out (v.), and to inquire into (v.). For the discussion of this paper, all four definitions
apply. Starr (1997) clarifies the meaning of research in regards to this discussion by
stating that the purpose of conducting research is to, “learn, absorb information,
internalize it, understand it, and explain it”.
Summary
Plagiarism has become a growing concern for educators at all levels. Studies are
revealing disturbing statistics regarding the number of students committing plagiarism.
This research seeks to 1) identify the reasons that students plagiarize, 2) organize existing
suggested methods of plagiarism prevention strategies, and 3) examine the correlation
between suggested prevention strategies and inquiry-based teaching practices. In
addition, potential models for implementing problem-based curriculums will be provided.
CHAPTER 2
Review of the Literature
Research has received a bad reputation with both teachers and students. Teachers
grumble that students are submitting papers that are poorly developed, lacking creativity,
and full of plagiarism. Students complain that research assignments are too long, have
little relevance, and can be overwhelming and confusing. One author described the
typical high school research paper as follows, “The paper is remembered as a painful
experience which taught the learner about note-cards, citations, and padding (Kenny,
Preventing Plagiarism 9
1997, p 1).” He goes on to say, “In evaluating this belabored experience, I do not detect
much original thinking, or logical ordering of material in the paper, nor much excitement
in the process. This isn’t working (1997, p 1).” Kenny is right. Clearly, something is not
working and this is evident in studies showing the high percentages of students who are
willing to, or who are inadvertently, committing plagiarism. The following paragraphs
will review teaching practices that are and are not working to discourage plagiarism and
why.
Sources cited in this paper are primarily journal articles, magazine articles, and e-
articles that were accessed via various databases and web sites on the Internet. These
databases include the EBSCO Host Research Database, the ERIC Database, and the
MasterFILE Premier Database. Additional sources were located using the Google search
engine. Keywords searched included: plagiarism, cheating, plagiarism prevention
strategies, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, authentic teaching practices,
differentiation, information literacy, student research, and research models.
Plagiarism: Why Do Students Cheat?
For many students, the motivation to cheat is not malevolent but instead rooted in
uncertainty and lack of self-confidence. Students may experience uncertainty or lack of
confidence if they: 1) perceive of themselves as poor writers, 2) feel assignments are
unjustly assigned, 3) cannot determine the relevance of a lesson, 4) fear failure, or 5) lack
the experience necessary to complete an assignment. For a few, cheating remains an act
of unscrupulousness.
Poor writing skills. Scribner (2003, p 3) says, “When one lacks the skills to think
for himself or doesn’t understand what is being asked of him, it is easier and seems safer
to borrow the words and thoughts of others.” Starr (2002) reinforces this idea when she
Preventing Plagiarism 10
reports that avoiding plagiarism is difficult for young writers because they have trouble
understanding how they can improve on the writing of an expert, or how they can “put
something in their own words”. If students do not feel confident summarizing or
paraphrasing the information they encounter during the research process, they will resort
to copying the information.
Unfair assignments. Students are likely to feel overwhelmed and confused by
assignments that have not been carefully modeled for them or assignments that require
unrealistic parameters. Teachers often assign research projects under the assumption that
students prepossess the necessary skills to conduct the research. This is often not the case,
and faced with a task they do not know how to complete, students feel resentful and view
the assignment as unfair. Additionally, teachers frequently assign unnecessarily long
papers or set due dates that conflict with other important due dates. Again, students are
likely to resent this tendency and perceive of the assignment as unfair. Belief that an
assignment is unfair is listed as a major motivating factor as to why students plagiarize
(Niels, 1996).
Lessons lack relevance. Sources describe the relevance of the curriculum as
another significant determinant in whether or not students plagiarize (Gibson, 2001,
Niels, 1996, Starr, 2002). If students do not experience an authentic connection with the
curriculum, and do not feel their lessons are meaningful, they will look for shortcuts in
order to finish their assignments quickly. Macrorie suggests that research projects often
fail because, “School is a place for sitters and receivers, not searchers and learners
(Gibson, 2001).” When students are involved in their learning, they are far less likely to
try to cut corners.
Preventing Plagiarism 11
Fear of failure. Pressure to succeed in school also leads to plagiarism. When
students feel that success is determined by grades, they are less inclined to take academic
risks and are more inclined to let others think for them. For many students, the high-
stakes education model that currently exists causes them to rely on plagiarism as a
survival instinct (Niels, 1996). McCabe suggests that students are under more pressure to
be right than they are to have creative thoughts (Niels, 1996). This pressure is likely to
leave students seeking the fastest route to the safest answer. Niels (1996) proposes that
students who fear alienation and failure at school try to “save face” in front of teachers,
peers, and parents, by searching for alternative routes to success, including partaking in
various forms of academic dishonesty.
No experience. Perhaps the most important reason that students plagiarize is that
they are simply unaware that they are committing plagiarism. If a student has never been
formally taught to complete assignments without plagiarizing, then it is likely that the
student will plagiarize unintentionally. For example, if a student does not know how to
cite a source, paraphrase an idea, or reference a quotation, then it is unlikely that they will
do so in their assignments.
Because they can. Lastly, Niels proposes that students will plagiarize if a teacher
is overtly boring, dull or unfriendly, but warns that too much trust and familiarity in a
classroom can also lead to plagiarism (1996). Starr (1997) states that: some students cheat
because they can; some cheat because they want to finish quickly; some are just lazy. It is
important to acknowledge that not all students are victims of poor teaching practices.
Some will cheat regardless.
To review, students will cheat when they lack-confidence or feel uncertain about
an assignment. Some will cheat to meet the demands of high-pressure academic
Preventing Plagiarism 12
situations. There will likely always be a few students who cheat simply because they are
naughty or dishonest. With a clear understanding of why students plagiarize, it is possible
to review existing plagiarism prevention strategies from an informed perspective.
Plagiarism: Overview of Prevention Strategies
In order to organize existing plagiarism prevention strategies, Malouff and Sims
suggest using Vroom’s expectancy theory of employee motivation. They summarize
Vroom’s theory as follows:
Employees perform best when they expect their assigned work to be feasible and
to lead to outcomes that they value… expecting a particular type of work to be
difficult and likely to lead to personally meaningful negative consequences makes
it less likely that employees will carry out the work. (1996, p. 1)
Malouff and Simms (1996) suggest that Vroom’s theory can be applied to organize
prevention strategies under the following five headings: 1) Students should understand
the rules of ethical writing; 2) Assignments should be manageable; 3) Ethical writing
should lead to personally important benefits; 4) Plagiarism should be difficult; and 5)
Plagiarism should lead to personally important costs. Although it appears Malouff and
Simms intended this model to organize prevention strategies used at the university level,
it serves equally well for organizing prevention strategies applicable in elementary,
middle, and high school classrooms. Strategies for plagiarism prevention at these levels
will be explained within the context of Malouff and Simms’ model.
Students should understand the rules of ethical writing. In order to make sure
students understand the rules of ethical writing, sources suggest teachers discuss
plagiarism with students, clearly define the term plagiarism for students, and explain the
many facets of plagiarism (Starr, 1997, Niels, 1996, Malouff 1996). Harris (1997) adds
Preventing Plagiarism 13
that an explicit definition of plagiarism is important because many students are not
familiar with the term and cultural differences may exist in how the word is defined.
In addition to providing a clear definition of plagiarism, teachers must teach
specific ethical writing strategies. These strategies include teaching students how to
paraphrase text and avoid copying verbatim from texts, how to correctly use quotations,
cite sources, and compile working bibliographies, and how to correctly summarize
excerpts of text. Niels (1996) also suggests that schools require a specific, widely
accepted writing format such as the American Psychological Association (APA) style
format or the Modern Language Association (MLA) style format. Teachers and librarians
should teach students how to use these formats and style guides should be available in
school libraries and classrooms for student use.
Assignments should be manageable. In order to ensure that assignments are
manageable teachers should consider: a) the length of the assignment, b) the due date of
the assignment, c) the steps leading up to the assignment, and d) the amount of emotional
and physical support available to students during the completion of the assignment.
Students must expect that their academic goals are obtainable (Malouff, 1996).
Teachers ought to emphasize the process and content of the assignment, not the length of
the assignment. For example, it is unnecessary to assign twenty page papers to seventh
graders.
Teachers should also avoid setting due dates that conflict with other important due
dates (Malouff, 1996). There is a tendency for teachers to set due dates at the end of a
grading period. Teachers should be aware of this tendency and select alternative due
dates so that students do not feel that their academic load is unmanageable. If students
Preventing Plagiarism 14
feel overwhelmed, they will resort to cutting corners in order to meet the requirements of
unrealistic or unfair workloads (Niels, 1996).
Teachers can also make assignments manageable by providing clear steps that
lead to the successful completion of assignments. This practice not only increases
students’ expectations that the project will be manageable, but also keeps students from
procrastinating and resorting to purchasing, copying, or borrowing prewritten papers.
Hinchcliffe (1998) suggests that teachers can break projects into reasonable pieces by
collecting and assessing, proposals, notes, drafts, and working bibliographies. Each of
these steps should be assigned a specific due date so that students may plan in order to
meet due dates.
Lastly, in order for students to expect their workloads to be manageable, they
must feel that both emotional and physical assistance is available to them. Research is not
an intuitive process; students need assistance from teachers and librarians (Thomas,
2001). In Carol Kulhthau’s (2001) paper, “The Information Search Process (ISP): A
Search for Meaning Rather than Answers” she discusses the various levels of uncertainty
that students experience as they proceed through research assignments. She defines
uncertainty as “a cognitive state that commonly causes affective symptoms of anxiety and
lack of confidence” (2001, p 9). She explains that during periods of uncertainty, students
are likely to enter a “zone of intervention”. Based on Vygotsky’s zone of proximal
development, the zone of intervention refers to, “the area where a person can do with
assistance what he or she cannot do alone” (2001, p 10). The specific type of
intervention strategy a teacher uses will vary from student to student. Assisting a student
may be as simple as offering a kind, supportive acknowledgement that the student’s work
is progressing correctly, or helping a student to locate a source in the library. Assisting a
Preventing Plagiarism 15
student may be as involved as helping a student categorize information that she has
collected. What is important is that teachers and librarians are available to assist students
when they are feeling uncertain and unsure as to how to proceed with their work.
To recapitulate, students will perceive of their assignment as manageable if the
assignment is not too long, has a reasonable due date, and is broken down into smaller,
more specific goals. Additionally, students will feel that their assignment is manageable
if teachers and librarians are available to assist them during periods of uncertainty.
Ethical writing should lead to personally important benefits. “Students must be
taught not only how to synthesize ideas and facts encountered in reading and research
into their own words, but also why doing so is a matter of scholarship and personal
integrity” (Scribner, 2003). It is important for students to understand that each time they
correctly paraphrase, cite a source, use quotations, or synthesize ideas; they are
demonstrating respectful and ethical behavior. It is important for teachers to reinforce the
value of these character traits by explaining their relevance.
Students will perceive of assignments as having personally important benefits
when they are able to make an explicit connection between what is happening in the
classroom and what is happening in their personal lives. Teachers can use a variety of
strategies to ensure that students have authentic learning experiences when conducting
research by allowing students to choose their own research topics and making specific
connections between classroom practices and real-world applications. For example,
teachers can help students develop an authentic connection to the importance of ethical
writing by demonstrating how ethical writing benefits students in their own lives; this is
achieved by explaining to students that proficient, ethical writers have more career
opportunities and often have higher paying jobs (Malouff, 1996).
Preventing Plagiarism 16
Plagiarism should be difficult. Teachers should make plagiarism appear difficult
for students. Assigning narrow research topics that are specifically designed around class
discussions will deter students from assembling cut and paste papers. Additionally, a
variety of specific source types should be required in order to ensure that students have
synthesized information obtained from multiple sources and not simply paraphrased a
single source.
Plagiarism will appear difficult if large projects are broken down into a number of
smaller assignments. By dividing assignments, teachers discourage the practice of
purchasing, copying, or submitting pre-written work. Sources suggest that teachers break
down larger assignments by having students hand in research proposals, note cards,
working bibliographies, photocopies of sources and rough drafts with edits (Hinchcliffe,
1998, Malouff, 1996). Hinchcliffe (1998) also suggests having students reflect on what
they have learned during the research process. Students who have not conducted the
research will find it difficult to generate the intermediate steps and difficult to reflect on
the process while students who have conducted the research will find these tasks simple.
Teachers and districts can also make plagiarism challenging for students by
having clear policies and consequences regarding plagiarism. Teachers should inform
students that all questionable sources will be confirmed and that their papers will be
crosschecked for plagiarism using special websites and software (Starr, 2002). It should
be explained to students that papers or assignments that have been plagiarized will
receive a failing grade and there will be no opportunity to improve the failing grade
(Harris, 1997).
Lastly, teachers should become familiar with the individual writing voices of their
students (Scribner, 2003). When students paraphrase incorrectly, copy directly from a
Preventing Plagiarism 17
source, or submit pre-written papers, teachers should recognize that a change in voice has
occurred. Teachers must explain the concept of developing a writing voice to their
students and inform them that when they plagiarize it is often obvious and easy to detect
the change in voice.
To review, teachers should make plagiarism difficult for students by assigning
narrow topics that require synthesis of information, by requiring students to submit works
in progress, and by having students reflect on the research process. Additionally, districts,
schools, and teachers should have specific policies and consequences for plagiarism and
should enforce them consistently. Lastly, teachers should know their students writing
styles and should inform students that they will be questioned if their writing seems to
written in someone else’s voice.
Plagiarism should lead to personally important costs. In addition to making
plagiarism difficult for students, teachers must also help educate students as to why
plagiarism will lead to personally important costs. A number of suggestions have been
made in regards to specific dialogues that can help younger students understand the perils
of plagiarism. In order to help students begin thinking about the effects of plagiarism,
Scribner suggests that teachers ask students “How the thought of being operated on by a
surgeon who cheated her way through medical school makes them feel!” (2003, p 3).
Teachers can also discuss with students the idea that if they cheat at a young age in
school, they will find it easier to cheat as adults in other situations, maybe even cheat on
people whom they love (Niels, 1996).
It is important for students to understand that the cost of plagiarism is integrity; it
defames ones character. Niels cites the Thomas Linkona’s five reasons why cheating is
wrong from his book Educating Character:
Preventing Plagiarism 18
1) It will definitely lower your self-respect, because you can never be proud of
anything you got by cheating.
2) Cheating is a lie, because it deceives other people into thinking you know more
than you do.
3) Cheating violates the teacher’s trust that you will do your own work.
4) Furthermore, it undermines the whole trust relationship between teacher and class.
5) Cheating is unfair to people who aren’t cheating (Niels, 1996, p).
These five statements can be used to generate classroom discussions about academic
dishonesty, or given to students as reflective journal prompts, or posted on the classroom
wall as a reminder for students that academic dishonesty is unethical has personally
important costs.
Conclusions. Having thoroughly examined current suggested methods for
preventing plagiarism, it is possible to draw the following three conclusions: 1) Students
must believe that conducting research is relevant to their own lives or they will
plagiarize. 2) Students must be taught specific research methods and have a clear
understanding of how not to plagiarize or they will inadvertently plagiarize. 3) Teachers
must be aware of why students plagiarize and how to prevent them from plagiarizing;
they must modify their teaching practices accordingly, or students will plagiarize.
Based on these conclusions, the following question will be examined: 1) How does the
use of authentic teaching practices, specifically, inquiry-based teaching practices,
increase the relevance of curriculum and in turn affect a student’s tendency to commit
plagiarism?
Inquiry Based Learning:
Preventing Plagiarism 19
Jakes and Pennington define inquiry-based or problem-based learning as, “a
process where students formulate investigative questions, obtain factual information, and
then build knowledge that ultimately reflects their answer to the original question (Jakes
and Pennington, 2002).” Inquiry -based learning focuses on teaching research with
emphasis placed on the process of problem solving; the problem-solving process is
valued as much as specific content area theories or facts. Its purpose is to teach students
how to answer real-world, personally relevant, questions.
Carol (2002) lists the following six traits of inquiry-based learning.
1) Students are encouraged to question;
2) Teachers do not provide all the information;
3) Teachers take a non-judgmental stance;
4) Students are provided time to explore; they aren’t rushed;
5) Students cooperate and interact with peers;
6) Resources are available and students are given freedom.
Unlike traditional classroom models, where a teacher provides most of the
questions as well as the answers, in an inquiry-based classroom, students are responsible
for generating their own questions as well as their own answers. The teacher’s role is that
of a learning facilitator. Although many teachers initially find this difficult to embrace
and get used to, if they are patient, organized, and prepared, they are likely to discover
that teaching inquiry-based lessons is rewarding because students enjoy what they are
doing (Tress, 1999). Additionally, for new teachers who may have studied one area in
college and are suddenly responsible for teaching a different area, problem-based
curriculum can be very helpful.
Preventing Plagiarism 20
Says Hahn, you may have been a music major, and suddenly you have to manage
this inquiry where kids are wondering things that you don’t know. Part of it is
allowing you to say to the kids, “I don’t know the answer to this, either. Let’s
learn together. What are the things we’d need to know to figure out this problem?
What things do we need to look at? (Tress, 1999)
By taking this approach to curriculum, teachers model for students that learning is an on-
going process. They also demonstrate the practical application of understanding research
methods; “Here is a question or a problem, how will we answer it or solve it?” In
modeling these behaviors, teachers help students recognize the authenticity and relevance
of obtaining research skills.
Inquiry-based learning always begins with a “big question”, or what Jakes (2002)
calls an essential question, that is developed by the whole class, small collaborative
groups, or individuals. Jakes suggests that, “What is?” questions should especially not be
used because they encourage students to collect facts and reorganize them instead of
collecting facts, categorizing, evaluating, and synthesizing them (2002). After students
have determined their “big question”, Jakes suggests that students develop a number of
foundation questions, at this point, “what is” questions are acceptable, because the facts
will have to be reorganized in order to be applied to the “big question”. After establishing
foundation questions, teachers must help students develop search strategies. This can
include teaching students to develop keywords for web searches, planning a trip to the
school library for a lesson on using card catalogs, or how to collect data for an
experiment. In addition learning search strategies, students must also learn to evaluate
their sources for applicability, authority, and reliability (Jakes, 2002).
Preventing Plagiarism 21
By comparing the traits and practices of inquiry-based learning with the
plagiarism prevention strategies previously discussed, it is possible to deduce that
teaching problem-based curriculum in the classroom will prevent student plagiarism. By
acting as facilitator and taking a non-judgmental stance towards their students, teachers
provide emotional and physical assistance for students. By allowing time for students to
explore their particular topics, it is less likely that conflicting due dates will be set. By
allowing students to choose their own questions, the curriculum becomes relevant. By
helping students refine their research questions and narrow their topics, teachers make
plagiarism difficult and deter students from creating cut and paste papers or purchasing
pre-written papers from paper mills. By stepping students through specific research
strategies during a problem-based lesson, teachers will remove anxiety and uncertainty
caused by lack of experience and make assignments manageable. By having students
work collaboratively, competitive behaviors will be reduced (Niels, 1996) and students
will be less likely to fear failure.
Inquiry-based instruction must be specifically modified in one area in order to
meet the criteria of suggested plagiarism prevention strategies. During problem-based
lessons, teachers must define plagiarism, discuss plagiarism, and establish clear policies
and consequences regarding plagiarism.
Summary
Preventing Plagiarism 22
CHAPTER 3
Methods – (Research Design)
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to establish a correlation between teaching
students a problem-based curriculum using specific research models and preventing
plagiarism in the classroom. In order to establish the correlation between the two, I will
work to implement a specific research model in my elementary school and collect
samples in an attempt to prove that problem-based teaching practices deter students from
purposely and inadvertently committing plagiarism.
Participants
The participants in this study will be elementary school students at Centinela
Elementary School in Inglewood, California. This group of students consists of both
African American students and Latino students. In regards to socio-economics,
approximately 60% of the student body qualifies for the free lunch program.
The first group of students to participate in the study will be my incoming (2003)
sixth grade class. The class will be predominately composed of GATE students and high
achieving students. There are likely to be a number of students who are designated
English Language Learners (ELL).
Action Research Plan
The following action research plan is designed to be implemented over the course of a
three to five year timeframe. It is meant to serve as an outline only and modifications will
be made to the plan as a greater understanding of the study is gained.
Preventing Plagiarism 23
Year one. During year one, I intend to collect student samples from all grade
levels to establish the current state of the research being conducted by students at
Centinela. I will also conduct teacher, student, and parent interviews and surveys in order
to establish the current views and practices associated with research instruction and
plagiarism. It will be important to establish a starting point in order to prove that
improvement is taking place as the study continues.
I will pilot Virginia Morse and Cindy Nottage’s (2003), Independent
Investigation Method (IIM™) in my sixth grade GATE classroom. I will introduce
students to the IIM™ approach using four progressive steps. First, I will teach a whole
group research lesson at the Basic Level. Second, I will have students complete a
research project at the Basic Level in small groups. Third, I will have students complete
an independent project at the Basic Level. Finally, for those students who have mastered
the Basic Level, I will introduce the Proficient Level and have them conduct research in
preparation for the school science fair. During this process, I will keep a reflective
journal, maintain a video log for use in a staff training video, and collect student samples.
Additionally, I will use the plagiarism prevention strategies described in Chapter 2. At
the end of the year, I will re-interview the students and parents to see if views regarding
research and plagiarism have changed.
Year two. Pending a successful implementation of the IIM™ method during year
one, at the start of year two I will present my first year findings to the school staff. I will
recruit teachers from grade levels 4, 5, and 6, who are interested in forming an action
research team and who are interested in implementing the IIM™ method in their
classrooms. After establishing a team, we will set research goals for the year. Goals will
include: holding bi-monthly meetings to discuss observations, share entries from research
Preventing Plagiarism 24
journals, and review student samples. During year two, the team and I will continue to
keep reflective journals, video logs, and students samples. As in year one, surveys and
interviews will be conducted with students and parents at both the start and close of each
year.
Year three. As a team, we will present the staff with our research findings. We
will propose that the school implement a specific research model, IIM™, in all
classrooms beginning as early as kindergarten and first grades.
In order to prepare teachers for IIM™ implementation, staff development will be
offered in the form of a training video compiled by the team, as well as external
development offered by the authors of IIM™. During year three, teachers will collaborate
to establish a specific research vocabulary and to develop grade-level research units.
During year three, the staff will establish school-wide goals and expectations in regards
to research and school-wide policies and consequences in regards to plagiarism.
Years four and five. During years four and five, the primary goals will be to:
1) Continue to develop the information literacy of the students through the
implementation of school-wide research models,
2) Continue to discourage plagiarism by implementing school-wide policies and
consequences in regards to plagiarism,
3) Monitor the success or failure of the action in order to reevaluate the purpose,
4) Follow-up with students from year one for interviews regarding their middle school
and early high school experiences with research and plagiarism, and
5) Compile and synthesize data in preparation for publishing the findings of the study.
CHAPTER 4
Summary and Conclusion
Preventing Plagiarism 25
In summary, many students do not commit plagiarism to be malevolent, but
instead because they lack experience using research skills, and they lack confidence in
their own writing. Students also are inclined to plagiarize when they do not feel the
curriculum they are studying is relevant to their own lives. Plagiarism prevention
strategies exist and can be organized using Vroom’s employee expectancy model as is
suggested by Malouff and Sims (1996). By examining existing prevention strategies, it is
possible to draw a correlation between teaching inquiry-based curriculums and
preventing plagiarism in the classroom.
Conclusion
Inquiry-based teaching practices are conducive to the prevention of plagiarism
because the curriculum is relevant and research centered. Students therefore are
motivated to do their own work while being provided with the physical and emotional
support needed to prevent uncertainty.
Implications for Teaching
Many schools are investigating strategies to prevent plagiarism that only address
the problem once it exists. These methods include stricter consequences for plagiarism
and purchasing rights to software that can identify work that has been plagiarized. While
these strategies are suggested and should be implemented, they should only be used in
conjunction with teaching practices that address the problem before its inception.
Implications for Further Research
Although there are a number of studies that have been conducted to identify why
students plagiarize, there are very few studies available that provide conclusive evidence
Preventing Plagiarism 26
as to whether or not existing suggested prevention strategies are effective in reducing
plagiarism. It would be beneficial to track groups of students form both traditional and
problem-based classrooms, to examine whether or not a conclusive evidence could be
established as to whether problem-based curriculums reduce plagiarism or not.
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