Collegiate cheating: understanding the prevalence, causes, and consequences

Abstract

This article summarizes the arguments and counterarguments regarding the issue of academic dishonesty. The study’s main aim is to understand and initiate discussions about the widespread but disturbing problem of attrition in higher education institutions around the world. A systematization of literary sources and approaches to understanding university attrition has shown that a deep-rooted interplay of cultural, cross-cultural and social values contributes to academic dishonesty. The relevance of this issue and decisions that are considered necessary in this direction is that it will help educational institutions think about the need to develop a policy of academic integrity and control over strict compliance with the norms of this policy. The work uses a dual methodological approach involving quantitative and qualitative research methods. Within the framework of the quantitative method, a survey of students was conducted, which included a sample of 503 respondents. The purpose of the structured study of students is to determine their general perception of academic integrity, as well as to assess the extent of their use of information technology and compare it with their individual level of academic integrity. The qualitative method involved conducting interviews (in person and by telephone) and 25 focus group discussions among educational administrators regarding the prevalence of academic dishonesty in the academic environment. The internal consistency of the method was checked using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The article empirically confirms the results, which indicate that the traditional learning environment, the level of affluence in the family, and technological dependence contributed to non-compliance with the principles of academic dishonesty and a decrease in the quality of educational services. The results showed that the presence of a family business can significantly affect a student’s thinking and form a low level of tolerance for academic dishonesty (F=1.54, p=0.02). With the rapid spread of digital technology, Generation Z students depend highly on technology to support their educational endeavours (F=1.35, p=0.04). The results of the study offer a better understanding of the consequences of deviant academic behavior, the justification for increasing the responsibility of the subjects of the educational process for non-compliance with the principles of academic integrity and the importance of the institutional policy of the educational institution in regulating this issue.