Moral Reasoning and Academic Dishonesty: A Qualitative Study of Undergraduate Students in Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/icccmjssh.v3i4.5.2024Keywords:
Moral Reasoning, Understanding, Students, Case Study, Undergraduate, MalaysiaAbstract
Academic dishonesty represents a pervasive issue within educational settings, and understanding the moral reasoning behind such behaviors is crucial for effective intervention. The primary objective of this research is to explore and assess the moral reasoning frameworks of undergraduate students attending the University of Malaysia Sabah, a public institution. Employing a qualitative methodology, we conducted in-depth interviews with 13 students to gain nuanced insights into their moral perspectives. Data analysis was carried out using an Interpretive Phenomenological Approach (IPA), enabling us to deeply understand the lived experiences and thought processes surrounding moral reasoning among these students. Our findings reveal that students predominantly subscribe to one of three distinct moral viewpoints. The first approach, termed as the 'subjective/contextual' perspective, posits that moral decisions are largely influenced by personal feelings and specific situational factors. The second approach is rooted in consequentialism, where the morality of an action is determined by its outcomes. The third approach regards morality as an objective entity, often grounded in religious or legal tenets. Based on our results, we advocate for a multifaceted educational strategy that addresses academic dishonesty. Universities should actively educate students on both the individual and societal repercussions of engaging in academically dishonest behaviors. Additionally, encouraging students to further develop their religious affiliations could serve as a complementary approach to mitigating academic dishonesty.
Downloads
References
Akko, B. T. (2018). Pengaruh Pendidikan Agama Islam Terhadap Akhlak (Perilaku Jujur). IQRO: Journal of Islamic Education, 1(1), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.24256/iqro.v1i1.313
Butler, B., Bodnar, C., Cooper, M., Burkey, D., & Anastasio, D. (2019). Towards understanding the moral reasoning process of senior chemical engineering students in process safety contexts. Education for Chemical Engineers, 28, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2019.03.004
Chapman, K. J., Davis, R., Toy, D., & Wright, L. (2004). Academic Integrity in the Business School Environment: I’ll Get by with a Little Help from My Friends. Journal of Marketing Education, 26(3), 236–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475304268779
Cummings, R., Dyas, L., Maddux, C. D., & Kochman, A. (2001). Principled Moral Reasoning and Behavior of Preservice Teacher Education Students. American Educational Research Journal, 38(1), 143–158. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038001143
Doody, O., & Noonan, M. (2013). Preparing and conducting interviews to collect data. Nurse Researcher, 20(5), 28–32. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr2013.05.20.5.28.e327
Foster, J. D., & Laforce, B. (1999). A Longitudinal Study of Moral, Religious, and Identity Development in a Christian Liberal Arts Environment. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 27(1), 52–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/009164719902700105
Gfellner, B. M. (1986). Ego development and moral development in relation to age and grade level during adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 15(2), 147–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02141735
Good, J. L., & Cartwright, C. (1998). Development of moral judgement among undergraduate university students. College Student Journal, 32, 270–276.
Ives, B., Alama, M., Mosora, L. C., Mosora, M., Grosu-Radulescu, L., Clinciu, A. I., Cazan, A.-M., Badescu, G., Tufis, C., Diaconu, M., & Dutu, A. (2017). Patterns and predictors of academic dishonesty in Romanian university students. Higher Education, 74(5), 815–831. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0079-8
Keohane, N. O. (1998). Moral Education in the Modern University. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 142(2), 244–257.
King, P. M., & Kitchener, K. S. (1994). Developing Reflective Judgment: Understanding and Promoting Intellectual Growth and Critical Thinking in Adolescents and Adults. Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series and Jossey-Bass Social and Behavioral Science Series.
King, P. M., & Mayhew, M. J. (2002). Moral Judgement Development in Higher Education: Insights from the Defining Issues Test. Journal of Moral Education, 31(3), 247–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305724022000008106
King, P. M., & Mayhew, M. J. (2005). Theory and Research on the Development of Moral Reasoning Among College Students. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research (Vol. 19, pp. 375–440). Kluwer Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2456-8_9
Kitchener, K. S., King, P. M., Davison, M. L., Parker, C. A., & Wood, P. K. (1984). A longitudinal study of moral and ego development in young adults. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 13(3), 197–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02089059
Kohlberg, L., & Hersh, R. H. (1977). Moral development: A review of the theory. Theory Into Practice, 16(2), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405847709542675
Lim, V. K. G., & See, S. K. B. (2001). Attitudes Toward, and Intentions to Report, Academic Cheating Among Students in Singapore. Ethics & Behavior, 11(3), 261–274. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327019EB1103_5
Malinowski, C., & Smith, C. P. (1985). Moral reasoning and moral conduct: An investigation prompted by Kohlberg’s theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49(4), 1016–1027. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.49.4.1016
Mustapha, R., Hussin, Z., Siraj, S., & Darusalam, G. (2017). Academic Dishonesty Among Higher Education Students: The Malaysian Evidence (2014 To 2016). KATHA- The Official Journal of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, 13(1), Article 1https://doi.org/10.22452/KATHA.vol13no1.4
Onu, D. U., Onyedibe, M. C. C., Ugwu, L. E., & Nche, G. C. (2021). Relationship between religious commitment and academic dishonesty: Is self-efficacy a factor? Ethics & Behavior, 31(1), 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2019.1695618
Paradice, D. B., & Dejoie, R. (1991). The ethical decision-making processes of information systems workers. Journal of Business Ethics, 10(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00383688
Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1992). How college affects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research. Contemporary Sociology, 21(2), 222. https://doi.org/10.2307/2075453
Rawwas, M. Y. A., Al-Khatib, J. A., & Vitell, S. J. (2004). Academic Dishonesty: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of U.S. and Chinese Marketing Students. Journal of Marketing Education, 26(1), 89–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475303262354
Rest, J. R. (1984). Research on Moral Development: Implications for Training Counseling Psychologists. The Counseling Psychologist, 12(3), 19–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000084123003
Rest, J. R., Narvaez, D., Thoma, S. J., & Bebeau, M. J. (2000). A Neo-Kohlbergian Approach to Morality Research. Journal of Moral Education, 29(4), 381–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/713679390
Ridwan, R., & Diantimala, Y. (2021). The positive role of religiosity in dealing with academic dishonesty. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), 1875541. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1875541
Rodzalan, S. A., & Saat, M. M. (2016). Ethics of undergraduate students: A study in Malaysian public universities. https://doi.org/10.7763/ijiet.2016.v6.772
Rubin, H., & Rubin, I. (2005). Qualitative Interviewing (2nd ed.): The Art of Hearing Data. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452226651
Shaver, D. G. (1987). Moral Development of Students Attending a Christian, Liberal Arts College and a Bible College. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28(3).
Steven P. McNeel. (1994). College teaching and student moral development. The Faculty of Management, University of Technology Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia, Rodzalan, S. A., Saat, M. M., & the Faculty of Management, University of Technology Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia. (2016). Ethics of Undergraduate Students: A Study in Malaysian Public Universities. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 6(9), 672–678. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJIET.2016.V6.772
Tompkins, E. (1945). General Education in a Free Society: A Report on the Harvard Report. Journal of Education, 128(7), 227–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205744512800711
Yussof, S. H., & Ismail, S. (2018). Academic dishonesty among accounting students in Malaysia / Salwa Hana Yussof and Suhaiza Ismail. Management & Accounting Review (MAR), 17(1), Article 1.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Ahmad Azmi Abdel Hamid Esmaeil, Ismail Maakip, Peter Voo, Yu Long
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.