Hidden Reasons behind the Plagiarism of Iranian TEFL University Students in Their Studies: A Qualitative Study

In recent years, the issue of plagiarism has received a lot of attention from the academic world. The factors that overtly or covertly contribute to the growth of plagiarism among graduate TEFL students in Iran were investigated in this study. In order to accomplish this, the researchers conducted a semi-structured interview with ۲۰ graduate students studying English language teaching to ascertain their perceptions of the underlying causes of plagiarism. Based on the data collected from the content analysis procedure, the main causes of plagiarism among TEFL students include ‘low English proficiency’, ‘lack of time’, ‘lack of support from the instructor’, ‘lack of interest in the topic, ‘laziness or a lack of motivation’, and ‘the use of science as a market for money making. The current study is of high significance since it has vital implications for academics teaching in higher education, TEFL university students, curriculum developers, and EAP/ESP specialists.

کلیدواژه ها:

Plagiarism ، TEFL students ، Writing proficiency ، Higher education.