Investigate the Mediating Role of Attitudes to Cheating in the Relationship between Social Support and Educational Justice with Cheating Behavior

Abstract

Purpose: This research aimed to investigate the mediating role of attitudes to cheating in the relationship between social support and educational justice with cheating behavior. Methodology: Present study was cross-sectional from type of correlation. The research population was all high school female students of Tehran city in 2018-19 academic years with number of 120000 people. The sample size was calculated according to Cochran's formula 400 people who were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method. The research instruments were the questionnaires of attitudes to cheating (Fealy & et al, 2014), social support (Zimet & et al, 1988), educational justice (Golparvar, 2011) and cheating behavior (Newsted & et al, 1996). Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling method with using path analysis in Amos-23 software. Findings: The findings showed that social support and educational justice had a negative and direct effect on attitudes to cheating and cheating behavior and attitudes to cheating had a positive and direct effect on cheating behavior. Also, social support and educational justice with mediating attitudes to cheating had a negative and indirect effect on cheating behavior (P<0.01). In addition, the model of mediating role of attitudes to cheating in the relationship between social support and educational justice with cheating behavior had a good fit. Conclusion: Based on the results, to reduce cheating behavior can be developed and implemented through workshops programs to change in social support, educational justice and attitudes to cheating.