About this Research Topic

Background

The problem of academic dishonesty is widespread among secondary and tertiary students around the world. By nearly all accounts, the majority of students report engaging in at least one form of academic dishonesty during the past year. While hundreds of studies have documented the “epidemic” of cheating and its correlates, relatively few have attempted to intervene to reduce the problem or promote academic integrity. With this in mind, the goal of this Research Topic is to highlight empirical work aimed at ameliorating the problem of academic dishonesty. In addition to experimental or intervention research that has attempted to identify the causes of cheating and/or reduce it occurrence, we also seek to include numerous other types of articles—e.g., systematic reviews, protocols, policy and practice reviews, and hypothesis and theory (for full details, see https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology#article-types).

Submissions to this Research Topic should seek to answer questions, using data and/theory related to this theme, such as:
• What are the psychological, social, cultural, and situational dynamics that affect (directly or indirectly) student engagement in academic dishonesty?
• What can teachers do to reduce cheating and/or promote academic integrity in their classrooms or courses? Specifically, from planning to pedagogy, goals to assessment, etc. how do teachers affect their students’ perceptions, beliefs and behaviours related to academic integrity?
• How have schools and educational institutions (at all levels) created “cultures of integrity”, where the values and practices associated with academic integrity are widely understood and embraced among all members of the community?
• What theory-based interventions (e.g., social norming; restorative justice; moral development) have been effective at reducing cheating or reducing the reoccurence of cheating behaviors?

The foregoing is only a sample of possible questions and we welcome manuscripts that address other (related) questions. This Research Topic does not seek to include articles on defining cheating or describing why it happens, as there are sufficient volumes dedicated to these topics. Instead, this volume will present a collection of manuscripts that highlight the causes (psychological, social, cultural, and contextual) of academic dishonesty and offer theoretically-driven and empirically-based “how-to” guidance for practitioners and researchers interested in interventions that aim to reduce cheating or enhance integrity.

Keywords: Academic dishonesty, academic integrity, moral development, ethical education, self-regulation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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