Factors affecting students' academic integrity in a private higher education institution (PHEI) in Malaysia

MD, Sozon (2025) Factors affecting students' academic integrity in a private higher education institution (PHEI) in Malaysia. PhD thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

The study explores how the academic environment, culture, social factors, and student motivation influence academic integrity violations in a private higher education institution in Malaysia (PHEI). The purpose of the current study is also to investigate the impact of an academic integrity tutorial on improving students’ knowledge and awareness regarding adherence to the academic honour code and policies in PHEI in Malaysia. The study used a pre- and post- experimental survey design with a survey questionnaire, multiple-choice rating scales, and 10-point quiz tests to evaluate the learning outcomes of an academic integrity tutorial among undergraduate students at a PHEI in Malaysia. Pre-experiment and post-experiment questionnaires were designed and distributed using Microsoft Forms to participants physically in class as well as online through Microsoft Teams. The participants of the study were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. During the first lecture in week 1, both the experimental group and the control group completed a pre�experiment survey to assess participants’ perceptions of various forms of academic integrity violations and the factors contributing to academic integrity violations in PHEI in Malaysia. Additional classes on academic integrity—covering topics such as understanding university rules regarding academic integrity violations (e.g., cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, electronic cheating, and collusion), fostering positive attitudes and motivation for learning, managing social and cultural expectations, and proper referencing and citations were conducted for the treatment group. After 6 weeks, participants in this study attended a 10-point quiz test. The quiz test aimed to evaluate students' learning outcomes related to the academic honour code and policies for ethical academic behaviour. The study confirmed a positive correlation between the academic environment, culture, social factors, and academic integrity violations in higher education. It also assessed the moderating effect of academic integrity education. Without the interaction term, the R-squared value for the academic environment, social factors, culture, and motivation was .832, indicating an 83.2% change in academic integrity violations. With the interaction term, the R-squared increased to .836, reflecting a 0.41% increase in variance explained. The results indicate the effectiveness of the tutorial in improving students' perceptions and experiences related to academic integrity. Overall, the quiz test results showed that the experimental group, which received additional instruction, scored higher than the control group, which did not receive any additional lectures. Keywords: Academic integrity violations, higher education, academic environment, social factors, academic culture, student motivation.

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