Academic Misconduct in Education Institution: Patterns, Causes, Variables and Solutions

Abstract

Academic misconduct in educational institutions is endemic at all levels primary, secondary and tertiary education. The actions not only create a fertile breeding ground for corruption but also nurture corrupt mindsets and habits, which are major obstacles to the development of a nation. Consequently, the Ministry of Education has formulated a variety of activities to instill good moral values and ethics in Thai students. For example, the “Growing Good” initiative was launched, the anti-corruption curriculum modules for kindergarten to Grade 6 students and the “Transparency in Tertiary Institutions – Thai Graduates Do Not Cheat” campaign. The purposes of this paper are to thoroughly examine and to obtain a better understanding of the phenomenon of academic dishonesty. Through critical evaluation of the research findings, the result revealed of 18 ongoing patterns of academic dishonesty. Social environments and individuals’ intention have been identified as the major factors contributing to academic misconduct, which can be explained by both theoretical perspectives and research findings. Narrative literature reviews of five international databases were conducted in order to analyze the variables influencing academic dishonesty. As a result, the study found 18 variables, covering both demographic and behavioral variables. Furthermore, the solution to effectively tackle the problems is to engage and coordinate with all three stakeholders, which are education administrators, teachers, and parents. Finally, this article raised concrete research and problem-solving approach in higher education institutions as case study.