Personality Traits and Levels of Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Academic Dishonesty among Higher Education Students in Ghana

Abstract

The study focused on the predictive abilities of personality traits and self-efficacy on academic dishonesty among students. After satisfying ethical protocols, the study surveyed 453 higher education students using an analytical cross-section design. Respondents were exposed to respond to three constructs such as personality traits scale, academic self-efficacy scale, and academic dishonesty scale. The data were quantitatively analyzed using means and standard deviations, frequencies and percentages, and regression. The study revealed that conscientiousness was the dominant personality trait. In addition, the study revealed that dishonest academic behaviours were exhibited among students despite their high level of self-efficacy. Furthermore, conscientiousness, openness and self-efficacy significantly predicted academically dishonest behaviours of students. Therefore, it is recommended that students be presented with opportunities to maintain their high level of self-efficacy to help reduce incidents of academic dishonesty. The study's findings appear original as they may serve as panacea for curbing dishonesty in teacher education programs in Ghana to churn credible teachers that might mount the teaching podium to impart knowledge onto the young that serve nations in the future.

Personality Traits, Thinking Styles, and Emotional Intelligence in Nursing, towards Healthcare Providers’ Characterization and Safer Patient Care

“…Low scores in conscientiousness were associated with carelessness at work [59], dishonest behavior [62], and lower academic achievement [25], and this is in line with this study as was shown, for example, in higher error rate (objective 3.1.4), low self-control (objective 2.1.1) and lower grade (objective 3.1.9) were associated with lower scores in conscientiousness.…”

Role of Self Efficacy and Personality in Academic Dishonesty of Undergraduate Students: Implication for Future Careers

“…High self-efficacy means the students will be willing to undertake school activities and want to perform creditably in school programmes, activities, and schedules, as exhibited by the notion that they will achieve an academic goal (m = 3.70). The finding is consistent with Eshun et al, [56]. However, De…”

“…Moreover, another factor that predicted academic dishonesty was self-efficacy, which produced the highest predictor of dishonesty when it came to academic integrity (11.2%) accounting for the variance. This result is in harmony with Eshun et al, [56]. But the current finding is a sharp contrast to the studies of Wong and Carducci [60], Mazar, Amir, and Ariely [61], and Baumeister et al, [62], which concluded that lower self-efficacy leads to academic dishonesty in students.…”

ChatGPT in Academic Writing: A Threat to Human Creativity and Academic Integrity? An Exploratory Study

“…It is important to avoid helping students engage in dishonest academic practices like plagiarism, cheating, and fabrication (Ventayen, 2023). Academic dishonesty and integrity problems have already been written about (Eshun et al, 2023), but ChatGPT has made them worse (Yeadon et al, et al, 2023). It is said that academic integrity and dishonesty problems do not happen because of something unexpected but because of something that already exists and is used as a conduit to perpetrate the crime (Eshun et al, 2023), and ChatGPT does not seem to be an exception.…”

“…Academic dishonesty and integrity problems have already been written about (Eshun et al, 2023), but ChatGPT has made them worse (Yeadon et al, et al, 2023). It is said that academic integrity and dishonesty problems do not happen because of something unexpected but because of something that already exists and is used as a conduit to perpetrate the crime (Eshun et al, 2023), and ChatGPT does not seem to be an exception. Several reports have been made on the use of ChatGPT and academic integrity.…”