The role of Parents in Facilitating Academic Cheating: A Qualitative Exploration of Contexts and Consequences

Najafi, Ali; Shakeri, Mohsen; Rouhani, Ali; Hooshisadat, Alireza

doi:10.22055/edus.2025.49643.3759

The role of Parents in Facilitating Academic Cheating: A Qualitative Exploration of Contexts and Consequences

10.22055/edus.2025.49643.3759

Volume 33, Issue 2
September 2026

Pages 63-84

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Ali Najafi ¹

mohsen shakeri ²

Ali Rouhani ³

Alireza Hooshisadat ⁴

¹ Master's student in Educational Psychology, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

³ Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

⁴ Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the causes and dimensions of parental involvement in academic cheating during virtual education. Utilizing Strauss and Corbin’s systematic grounded theory approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents in Yazd, Iran (2022–2023 academic year), selected via theoretical sampling with maximum variation until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Findings identified direct and indirect parental participation in cheating as the core phenomenon, driven by causal factors such as social pressure, parental anxiety, and grade orientation. In a context characterized by virtual learning environments, ineffective assessment methods, and teacher skill deficits, parents adopted strategies including moral justification and normalization of cheating. The primary consequences were the transmission and institutionalization of dishonest behaviors in children. Reducing this phenomenon requires revising educational assessment methods and reforming parental attitudes

Keywords

Academic dishonesty

Parental facilitation of cheating

Grounded theory

Virtual environment

Academic assessment

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