A CONSERVATIVE VIEW ON PLAGIARISM? REFLECTIONS FROM A SURVEY ON THE PERSPECTIVE OF A POPULATION OF BRAZILIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

ABSTRACT:

This study offers a perspective on plagiarism in science education at school. The research participants are students enrolled in a Brazilian federal institution, and the results are presented in dialogue with previous research, with science teachers, in the same institution. We conducted a survey in 2016 with a population of 427 students in the 3rd grade of high school, 29.6% of the total of students at this same grade in all campuses of the institution. Of the total of 427 participants, 98.1% responded and allowed us to give some insight into their perceptions and attitudes about plagiarism at school. For this population surveyed, results indicate that plagiarism is viewed perhaps in a more conservative way than would be expected for high school students. In addition to offering a perspective on the problem in science education, this research is a provocative reminder of the urgency of investigations into plagiarism practices in basic education.

Keywords:
Plagiarism; Science education; Basic education.