Work

Policy, pedagogy, and perceived inevitability: Turkish EFL teachers' perspectives on deterring cheating in online assessments

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Student assessment in an online teaching environment poses a significant challenge due to violations of academic integrity, such as academic dishonesty in online assessments. This qualitative study, based on Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development, and Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework, investigated Turkish higher education university teachers' views on cheating-deterring strategies as well as the function of administrative policies as facilitators or barriers to online assessment. Data from 16 English teachers were thematically analyzed using MAXQDA 2022, employing semi-structured interviews and narrative frameworks. Administrative policies were formulated as institutional instructions, digital infrastructure, and aspects of teacher autonomy. The obtained themes have been classified into three main meta-themes: Perceived Inevitability of Cheating, Agency Through Design for Deterrence, and Policy Ambiguity and its Impact on online assessment . The study emphasizes effective instructional design tactics, policy suggestions, and professional development methods to promote academic integrity in online educational settings.

Source: Language Testing in Asia

DOI: 10.1186/s40468-026-00472-2

Authors: Fatemeh Alizadeh, Nurlana Imanova, Afet Guliyeva, Gulchin Eyyubova, Fatemeh Mirzapour

Institutions: Baku Higher Oil School, State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (Azerbaijan), Islamic Azad University of Tabriz

Language: English

Topic: Academic integrity and plagiarism

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,790