Student Perceptions of Academic Integrity: A Qualitative Study of Understanding, Consequences, and Impact

Article

Stone, A. 2023. Student Perceptions of Academic Integrity: A Qualitative Study of Understanding, Consequences, and Impact. Journal of Academic Ethics. 21, pp. 357-375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-022-09461-5
AuthorsStone, A.
Abstract

Background
Academic integrity (AI) is of increasing importance in higher education. At the same time, students are becoming more consumer-oriented and more inclined to appeal against, or complain about, a penalty imposed for a breach of AI. This combination of factors places pressure on institutions of higher education to handle alleged breaches of AI in a way acceptable to students that motivates them to continue to engage with their studies.

Method
Students (n = 8) were interviewed to discover their perceptions of the process for dealing with breaches of AI. All students were based in one university in a very diverse area of London which has many first-generation students from non-traditional academic backgrounds.

Results
Students reported strong emotional reactions featuring high levels of anxiety and stress. Some found the process to be threatening and demotivating and questioned continuation on their course of study, while others used more adaptive coping strategies. Students also went to great pains to make it clear that their own, and their friends’, breaches of AI were unintentional, while expressing the view that other people were deliberately cheating and should be penalised.

Key recommendations include: support for students to re-engage after the intervention; support for students to develop effective self-regulatory learning strategies and time management; provision of specific examples to clarify what is, and is not, acceptable academic practice; recognition of the strong emotions likely to be invoked, especially if accompanied by declarations of unintentionality.

JournalJournal of Academic Ethics
Journal citation21, pp. 357-375
ISSN1572-8544
1570-1727
Year2023
PublisherSpringer Nature
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Anyone
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-022-09461-5
Publication dates
Online28 Nov 2022
Publication process dates
Accepted21 Oct 2022
Deposited20 Mar 2025
Copyright holder© 2023 The Author
Additional information

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10805-022-09461-5

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