Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education
Introduction Academic dishonesty represents a persistent and multidimensional problem in higher education that compromises the quality of learning, evaluative equity, and students' ethical development. The objective of this study was to examine academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct amo...
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| Lenguaje: | inglés |
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2026
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| author | Yaneth Melysia Cari Noe Benjamin Pampa Quispe Lourdes Quenta-Condori Sheridan E. OBLITAS-BARDALES |
| author_browse | Lourdes Quenta-Condori Noe Benjamin Pampa Quispe Sheridan E. OBLITAS-BARDALES Yaneth Melysia Cari |
| author_facet | Yaneth Melysia Cari Noe Benjamin Pampa Quispe Lourdes Quenta-Condori Sheridan E. OBLITAS-BARDALES |
| author_sort | Yaneth Melysia Cari |
| collection | Producción científica |
| description | Introduction Academic dishonesty represents a persistent and multidimensional problem in higher education that compromises the quality of learning, evaluative equity, and students' ethical development. The objective of this study was to examine academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct among students at a private Peruvian university. Methods A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and descriptive correlational design was employed with 333 participants who completed an adapted 23-item Likert scale. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω , and construct validity was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, correlations, and repeated-measures ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test. Results The results confirmed a robust two-dimensional structure consisting of evaluative fraud (D1) and non-evaluative evasive fraud (D2), comprising four factors. The instrument showed high reliability ( α = 0.793–0.951; ω = 0.815–0.962) and acceptable model fit (RMSEA = 0.056; CFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.91). Self-reported prevalence was low, with 65.01% of responses classified as “Never,” although occasional involvement persisted (32.9%). Occasional involvement was significantly higher in D1, with strong inter-dimensional correlations and statistically significant differences. Discussion These findings refine the theoretical understanding of academic dishonesty by distinguishing mechanisms of direct manipulation from those involving evasion and moral disengagement, thereby providing a more precise framework for understanding the construct in Latin American contexts. At the applied level, the findings support the design of interventions tailored to each dimension. In summary, the study provides an empirically supported functional framework for academic dishonesty, with direct implications for strengthening educational quality and the ethical training of future professionals, thereby consolidating academic integrity as a central pillar of the sustainable development of higher education in Peru and Latin America. |
| format | Article |
| id | openalex:W7213556523 |
| institution | UPeU |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | openalex:W7213556523Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher educationYaneth Melysia CariNoe Benjamin Pampa QuispeLourdes Quenta-CondoriSheridan E. OBLITAS-BARDALESacademic dishonestymultidimensional constructacademic integritymoral disengagementstudent ethicsuniversity studentsethical trainingPeruLatin AmericaAcademic integrity and plagiarismEthics in Business and EducationBenford’s Law and Fraud DetectionIntroduction Academic dishonesty represents a persistent and multidimensional problem in higher education that compromises the quality of learning, evaluative equity, and students' ethical development. The objective of this study was to examine academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct among students at a private Peruvian university. Methods A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and descriptive correlational design was employed with 333 participants who completed an adapted 23-item Likert scale. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω , and construct validity was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, correlations, and repeated-measures ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test. Results The results confirmed a robust two-dimensional structure consisting of evaluative fraud (D1) and non-evaluative evasive fraud (D2), comprising four factors. The instrument showed high reliability ( α = 0.793–0.951; ω = 0.815–0.962) and acceptable model fit (RMSEA = 0.056; CFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.91). Self-reported prevalence was low, with 65.01% of responses classified as “Never,” although occasional involvement persisted (32.9%). Occasional involvement was significantly higher in D1, with strong inter-dimensional correlations and statistically significant differences. Discussion These findings refine the theoretical understanding of academic dishonesty by distinguishing mechanisms of direct manipulation from those involving evasion and moral disengagement, thereby providing a more precise framework for understanding the construct in Latin American contexts. At the applied level, the findings support the design of interventions tailored to each dimension. In summary, the study provides an empirically supported functional framework for academic dishonesty, with direct implications for strengthening educational quality and the ethical training of future professionals, thereby consolidating academic integrity as a central pillar of the sustainable development of higher education in Peru and Latin America.Articlehttps://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1843507https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1843507/pdfW7213556523enFrontiers in Education2504-284X2026-09-18 |
| spellingShingle | academic dishonesty multidimensional construct academic integrity moral disengagement student ethics university students ethical training Peru Latin America Academic integrity and plagiarism Ethics in Business and Education Benford’s Law and Fraud Detection Yaneth Melysia Cari Noe Benjamin Pampa Quispe Lourdes Quenta-Condori Sheridan E. OBLITAS-BARDALES Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education |
| title | Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education |
| title_full | Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education |
| title_fullStr | Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education |
| title_short | Academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education |
| title_sort | academic dishonesty as a multidimensional construct in contemporary higher education |
| topic | academic dishonesty multidimensional construct academic integrity moral disengagement student ethics university students ethical training Peru Latin America Academic integrity and plagiarism Ethics in Business and Education Benford’s Law and Fraud Detection |
| topic_facet | academic dishonesty multidimensional construct academic integrity moral disengagement student ethics university students ethical training Peru Latin America Academic integrity and plagiarism Ethics in Business and Education Benford’s Law and Fraud Detection |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1843507 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1843507/pdf |
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