Influence of Subject Area and Level of Academic Achievement on University Students’ Propensity for Academic Dishonesty

Abstract

Academic dishonesty is a persistent problem in higher education and it threatens the integrity and legitimacy of university education. This study examined the influence of undergraduate students’ subject area and level of academic achievement on propensity for academic dishonesty. It also examined the interaction effect between subject specialization and level of academic achievement on academic dishonesty while controlling for age. Participants were 425 Bachelor of Education students from seven public universities in Kenya. Students taking a Bachelor of Education Science had a significantly higher academic dishonesty mean score compared to students taking a Bachelor of Education Arts. There were no significant differences in participants’ academic dishonesty mean scores by level of academic achievement. There were also no significant interactions between subject area and level of academic achievement on academic dishonesty, whilst controlling for age. The study concluded that students taking a Bachelor of Education Science course were more likely to engage in academic dishonesty compared to students taking a Bachelor of Education Arts. Implications for the findings are discussed in depth. Keywords: Academic achievement, academic dishonesty, subject area DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-21-07 Publication date: June 30 th 2022