Academic competitiveness among graduate students

Abstract

The purpose of the study is a literature review investigating the level of academic competitiveness among graduate students in campuses across the United States. Academic competition is impacting the students in our educational system. The pressure to excel has become a motivation behind many students. These pressures have been associated with three areas of focus. These areas can be referred to as (1) real competition, the competition between peers; (2) perceived competition, the competition a person believes is occurring between themselves and others; and (3) self competition, the way a person continuously pressures himself to become better than he is in academics. These pressures are creating a competitive environment in schools where students are using alternative methods to cope with their pressures, such as academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty entails different variations of dishonest behavior. The variations that this literature will focus on are cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and facilitating others in performing acts of academic dishonesty. The educational system has been impacted by students using forms of academic dishonesty. Schools have been placed in a situation where they are searching for effective interventions to help prevent academic dishonesty. Two of the approaches being utilized by many of the educational institutions to deter academic dishonesty are honor codes and strict consequences.