ONLINE EXAMS AND THE USE OF DISHONEST PRACTICES BY STUDENTS FROM A SPORTS UNIVERSITY

ABSTRACT Dishonest methods have been part of the educational process and are likely to be in the future. However, technological progress has undoubtedly created several preconditions for unfair methods. Over the years, many studies have been conducted, and some models have been validated to assess unethical methods that evaluate different approaches. The present study investigates whether and to what extent students studying in sports-oriented courses use such methods. A literature study was conducted to summarize current research on the topic and provide a basis for creating a questionnaire for the students of the National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski”. The survey included 89 participants (38 women and 51 men) in a full-time study. The questionnaire was distributed through the National Sports Academy “Vassil Levs-ki” (NSA) professors during the summer examination session. Participation in the survey was optional and only after the end of the student’s examination. The survey was conducted in May-June 2022. The questionnaire was analyzed using Cronbach’s, which showed high-reliability (= .82). Regarding the factors of gender and faculty, no statistically significant differences were found. 30.3% (n=27) of the students responded that they had used a dishonest method and the remaining 69.7% (n=62) declared that they had not used such methods. The most common method is that of using study materials (textbooks) or notes. The following preferred method is “help by a colleague”. A correlation was found for those students who used dishonest methods that they boasted to their colleagues r = .758 ( ≤ .001) and their relatives r = .711( ≤ .001). As a major conclusion, it can be inferred that despite the dishonest methods used by the students, it generally does not lead to their desired assessment and outcome. Using more components to form a student’s final examination grade, such as exam grades from evaluations, assignments, or tests, ensures a more realistic final examination grade in the respective subject.