Using Statistical Models to Investigate Academic Cheating in Kurdistan Universities

Academic dishonesty, particularly exam cheating, is a persistent issue in education. This study examines the influence of socio-demographic and educational factors on exam cheating, alongside student motivations, methods, attitudes, and reasons for abstaining. An online questionnaire in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq yielded 409 responses, analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. Results show that 52.6% of students cheated at least once during university. Fear of failure emerged as the main motivator for cheating, while religious beliefs were a significant deterrent. Common cheating methods included copying answers from another student's paper. Analysis revealed that older students and females cheat less often, while students in higher academic years cheat more frequently. Those satisfied with their academic achievements are less likely to cheat. Additionally, students attending private universities and those perceiving poor teaching quality are more prone to cheating. The study highlights the strong influence of socio-demographic factors on academic dishonesty and underscores the complexity of motivations and methods behind exam cheating.