The international dimension of academic integrity: An integrative literature review [article]

Jason Openo, University Of Calgary
2019
Numerous studies suggest that 30 to 90 percent of students engage in academic dishonesty, but incidents of academic integrity involving international students may garner more attention and can create scandals (Bowman, 2017). Furthermore, international students who become entangled in incidents of academic misconduct face serious life consequences that are potentially devastating to the student, including expulsion from academic studies and dishonour in family life. The stakes are high for both
more » ... nternational students and the institutions that host them. This proposal provides an integrative literature of the research surrounding international students and academic integrity, with a focus on successful institutional interventions and strategies that proactively address and reduce the likelihood of challenges to academic integrity. International students studying in Canada, particularly those whose first language is not English, may face several hurdles not experienced by their Canadian counterparts. Differing cultural conceptions of text ownership, educational systems, and linguistic barriers may all contribute to international students' unintentional plagiarism (Amsberry, 2010). Therefore, it is imperative to orient international students to the concept of academic integrity in the context of Canada because academic credentials are a signal that assert the student has mastered academic norms of the new culture. The signal is communicated to employers, graduate schools, and protecting the credential's signal has implications for the entire Canadian post-secondary system and the larger society. Academic honesty is highly desirable to support claims students have acquired the learning outcomes the institution claims, and in the worst case, incompetence could serious jeopardize human safety, particularly in the cases of health-care workers, medical practitioners, or engineers (Katkins, 2018, p. 269). International students are also facing increased temptation and easier methods for engaging in academic misconduct. The [...]
doi:10.11575/prism/36471 fatcat:war6uepdvjeurmpkqteyxsepni