An Examination of Student and Faculty Perceptions of Academic Dishonesty

Prior research has indicated that academic dishonesty is a serious problem on American college campuses. In order to contribute to the existing body of knowledge, this study was an investigation of faculty and student perceptions of academic dishonesty. Data were collected at a relatively small public university in the southeast. The researcher examined faculty and student attitudes toward academic dishonesty. In addition, faculty perceptions of student attitudes and student perceptions of faculty attitudes were examined. Results of an ANOVA revealed that faculty regarded academically dishonest behaviors as significantly more serious offenses than students. The researcher also examined students\u27 attitudes toward academic dishonesty as a function of gender, age, grade point average, academic major, class standing, awareness of university policy, and self-reported engagement in academically dishonest behaviors. Students who reported the highest levels of engagement in academically dishonest behaviors were male, younger, and had lower GPAs. No differences were found among students of different class standings on the dependent measures. This research provides a better understanding of academic dishonesty on a university campus. The researcher suggests methods for promoting academic integrity on the campus