Academic Fraud among Students in Higher Education in Nigeria: Reasons, Methods Adopted and Strategies to Curb It

Abstract

Academic fraud can encompass any crime for gain that uses deception as its principal modus operandi” (Wells, 2005) The purpose of this study is to expose to stakeholders in the education sector in Nigeria of the volume of academic fraud (cheating) that is taking place in the educational institutions especially in the tertiary level and to expose some of the strategies employed by perpetrators of this heinous crime and to proffer measures that can be employed to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. In order to address these issues, four research questions were advanced which include: What are the causes of academic fraud among students in the Nigerian education sector? What are the various types of academic fraud prevalent in tertiary institutions in Nigeria? What are the methods adopted in committing these frauds by both students and teachers. What are the strategies needed to reduce the occurrence of these frauds in educational institutions. This study has identified 14 causes of academic fraud, 22 methods of committing academic fraud, and 24 techniques for combating academic fraud. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p289