Academic dishonesty and whistleblowing in a higher education institution : a sociological analysis

M.A. (Industrial Sociology)Abstract: Academic dishonesty is a growing global concern, with alarmingly high incidence rates in academic institutions. This problem is particularly acute in the South African context. Research in various contexts has identified whistleblowing as a mechanism to curb the incidence of academic dishonesty. This study attempted to measure the relationship between academic dishonesty and whistleblowing, and framed itself within the reasoned action approach to accomplish this. The aim was to identify the variables associated with reporting of academic dishonesty in a higher education setting. Literature within the South African context concerning academic dishonesty and whistleblowing is not abundant, thus this research aimed to contribute to filling this gap. A partially mixed sequential dominant status design was utilised for the study. In Phase 1 recurring themes were derived from literature regarding the topic, and a qualitative approach was then used to evaluate the usefulness of those themes for the quantitative phase. The information of Phase 1 was used to determine whether the questionnaire for Phase 2 had appropriately phrased questions. Phase 2 entailed a survey with a sample of 405 undergraduate sociology students. Data collection occurred using a self-administered structured questionnaire, voluntarily completed electronically by students given access to the link. Analysis indicated that the two main factors associated with students’ willingness to report academic dishonesty are sex and year of study. Five factors mediate the willingness to report academic dishonesty. These are students’ general honesty, their level of academic honesty; the justification for committing academic dishonesty; their justification for not reporting academic dishonesty; and their justification for reporting academic dishonesty. The research concurred with literature reviewed, that students with higher degrees of general honesty are more willing to report academic dishonesty, that the fear of retaliation contributes to an unwillingness to report academic dishonesty, and that institutional rules; norms and procedures influence students to report academic dishonesty. Recommendations for future studies of this nature include that the period in which the research is conducted is carefully considered, ensuring that it is not out of the ordinary e.g. during student protests or exam periods, to avoid undue influence of students’ responses. Research could also include a wider range of students to determine if the findings are faculty-specific