“I Don’t want to Commit Academic Dishonesty”: the Role of Grit and Growth Mindset in Reducing Academic Dishonesty

Abstract

Online learning is a substitute for learning in the classroom during a global pandemic. The problem that arises is that academic dishonesty behavior increases when online learning takes place. We assess how academic dishonesty occurs during online learning. Purpose. We examine how academic dishonesty occurs during online learning. We review unethical behavior based on growth mindset and Grit as mediator variables. Materials and methods. The questionnaire was filled out by 266 students (196 female; 70 male) from universities in Indonesia. Data collection uses three scales, namely the academic dishonesty scale (α = 0.862), the growth mindset scale (α = 0.826), and the grit scale (α = 0.760). The path analysis using the multiple linear regression techniques was utilized to analyze the data in this study. Results. This study demonstrates a negative correlation between growth mindset and academic dishonesty, indicating that the more growth mindset, the less academic dishonesty. Additionally, there is a considerable negative correlation between Grit and academic dishonesty, such that the greater a person’s Grit, the less academic dishonesty there is. Additionally, a positive correlation exists between the growth mindset and Grit. The greater one’s growth attitude, the greater one’s Grit. The primary finding is that Grit mediates the growth mindset’s attitude toward academic dishonesty, implying that the growth mindset affects academic dishonesty by Grit. Conclusions. The conclusion is that the growth mindset acts as a buffer against academic dishonesty. However, Grit’s position is ideal for mediating the association between growth mindset and academic dishonesty. Thus, a growth mindset can boost students’ Grit, which can help prevent academic dishonesty. We reviewed recommendations for decreasing unethical behavior in online education and its consequences for higher education.