Date Available
5-12-2023
Year of Publication
2023
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
College
Education
Department/School/Program
Curriculum and Instruction
Advisor
Dr Gerry Swan
Abstract
This mixed methods study explored students’ hypothetical choices of behavior in a series of ten academic vignettes. In addition, it examined student judgments of academic behaviors as acceptable or dishonest. Finally, it compared scores on the Moral Foundations Questionnaire-2 to the importance of factors that might influence student behavioral choices in real world scenarios and explored the differences in perceptions among demographic groups.
Twenty-five undergraduate students participated in the study. In a semi-structured interview, each student discussed ten academic vignettes: predicting their own hypothetical behavioral choice, judging target behaviors as honest or dishonest, and identifying factors that would most influence their choice of behaviors. Students also completed the Moral Foundations Questionnaire-2.
Data analysis showed that most of the ten target behaviors were judged as dishonest by most students; however, some students were willing to engage in behaviors that they had labeled as dishonest. Students’ choices of factors that most influenced their behaviors were weakly positively related to their scores on the Moral Foundations Questionnaire-2. Some differences were found between demographic groups in perceptions, choices, and MFQ-2 scores.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2023.253
Recommended Citation
Hargus, Carla Spires, "Moral Foundations and Student Perceptions of Academic Dishonesty: A Mixed Methods Study" (2023). Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction. 44.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edc_etds/44
