A study on academic dishonesty among English as a foreign language students

Abstract

Academic dishonesty is prevalent and has unfortunately become normalized in post-secondary institutions worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago led to an increase in cheating and confrontation of instructors with academic honesty. The main objective of this study was to create an explicative model according to the levels of morality, pragmatism, and gender. Researchers applied an online questionnaire to 735 anonymous university students. Analysis showed that participants were less honest in morality than in pragmatism, but the average value was very close for both dimensions. A substantial number of students with low and moderate levels of dishonesty were observed in both moral and pragmatic contexts. The initial hypothesis was partially validated, as the level of morality was associated with the level of pragmatism rather than gender, indicating a direct albeit moderate impact of pragmatism on morality. We confirmed the second hypothesis, showing the influence of gender and morality on the level of pragmatism. Participants suggested that English as a Foreign Language instructors should modify their approach, account for ethical considerations, offer extra classes, revise teaching and evaluation methods, and sanction students who cheat. Surprisingly, results show a slight tendency for lower honesty in morality compared to pragmatism. Despite honest behaviors, it is essential to address gender differences and promote academic honesty through education, policies, and a culture of honesty.