Academic Honesty Amongst the Students of Health Studies

Academic honesty is rarely investigated among Croatian students, despite the extremely high prevalence of unethical behavior at all levels of education, according to previous research. In this study, we examined the self-reported behavior, attitudes and values related to academic honesty of 1088 higher education students. The results indicate a moderate prevalence of dishonest behavior, especially in examinations. Students often show dishonest behavior due to poor supervision during exams while the main motivation for cheating is passing the exam or getting a higher score. Having examined the significant predictors of academic dishonesty, we can conclude that senior students behave more honestly. For students who are more honest in academic situations, cheating is less acceptable, and they provide more reasons for not cheating and less for cheating. However, students are not willing to take responsibility for their own honest behavior, and expect to be controlled by teachers and educational institutions. The paper introduces recommendations for the promotion and adoption of honest academic conduct in higher education institutions. Key words: attitude; cheating; perception; responsibility; students