Undergraduate Students' Perception Towards Cheating in Online Learning Programs: A Case Study at Ajman University, UAE

Background/purpose. This study aims to better understand undergraduate students’ perceptions of cheating in online learning programs at Ajman University, one of the higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates. Materials/methods. The study used a descriptive method, employing a questionnaire instrument to collect data from faculty members (n = 201). The questionnaire consists of 35 items distributed over six areas: students (8 items), course content (4), teaching methods (4), conducting electronic tests, cheating methods (6), and attitudes (5). Results. The overall mean and standard deviation for the six areas of the questionnaire were 3.40 and 0.99, indicating a moderate level. The results showed that undergraduate students’ perceptions of cheating in online learning depended on the gender variable category (in favor of male students). However, there was no statistical significance depending on the college and academic year variables. Conclusion. The study recommends conducting more research on the use of cheating in online learning programs in higher education institutions.