Ethics in an Academic Environment

Attitude in a Learning Environment

The attitude one has towards ethics in their academic environment can determine their success. It is up to the student to establish their outlook on school and learning. School, by no means, is an effortless task to get through. A positive attitude will make it a whole lot easier. One’s attitude towards ethics such as cheating, plagiarism, learning, and participation will mold their entire victory. A student’s attitude in their academic environment coincides with the ethics they develop along the way.

“Cheating has permeated many facets of American life.” (Choong, 2007, p. 91) One’s attitude towards cheating can have a big impact on their academic environment. When a class of students was observed, findings indicated that students who are engaging in activities that interest them are less likely to cheat. (Hongyan, 2007, p.91). Although it is not always easy for one to maintain interest in their academic environment, the student should do the best they can to stay focused. Also, it is important that the teacher makes the learning environment a welcoming place to learn. This will help the students stay on track and it will also result in the students wanting to learn and not cheat.

Plagiarism is a common form of cheating among students. One’s attitude towards both the concept of plagiarism and towards their learning material can effect whether or not they choose to plagiarize. When one has a good mindset about school and are willing to give it their all, they will not be tempted to plagiarize. It takes a basic understanding of what plagiarism is and a good learning ethic to prevent one’s self from considering copying someone else’s work. However, having a positive attitude about learning in general will allow a student to excel in an academic environment.

Participation in an academic environment is an essential task in every student’s life. Without the willingness to participate one may never receive the same level of education as a student who participates. Asking questions, making conversation, and being involved in class discussions are just a few examples of class participation. One has to have a positive point of view on participating in class. They must not be afraid to make a mistake and when they do make one, they have to be able to recover and get right back into the game. Once people realize that making a mistake will actually teach them something, they are going to be more comfortable with speaking and participating in class. As Roger Holdsworth said in his paper, “Reasons for supporting increased student participation focus on rights and efficacy. Students have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives: we live in a democratic community and student participation can be an apprenticeship for citizenship in this democracy. Also, student participation leads to more effective decision-making and learning: better decisions are made when participants share in making those decisions and learning is more effective when students are active participants.”(2007, p26). As this quote states, people who participate become better informed and also make better decisions. In order to be successful in any situation, one has to participate and always be positive. Although there are some obstacles to having a positive attitude like being shy and being insecure, one has to overcome these obstacles and make the best effort one can put out.

Learning is a key component to ethics. We must understand the concepts. The power of learning can overcome the power of cheating. If you understand something, there is no reason to cheat. Learning can benefit communities, schools, businesses, and organizations ethically. It provides people with the tools to avoid cheating and plagiarizing. “What is ethics? Ethics is about what people should do.” (Schultz, 2005, p1). If people understand more, they are less likely to be tricked. For example; if one goes to a used car lot to buy a car they may pay more than they need to. Does the car salesman tell the person that he can cut them a better deal then he does? Of course not, but if one goes there understanding how a used car salesmen’s commission works they will have a better chance of getting a good deal. Now how does this play into ethics? While ethics is labeled as doing what one should do, no one is technically wrong in this scenario either