Uncovering Academic Misconduct Among Ethnic Minority Students: Perspectives from Academic Integrity Officers and Implications for Higher Education

In the last few decades in the UK, many universities have moved away from exams to predominantly coursework as a form of assessment. Academics have noticed a growing number of students plagiarising or cheating using essay mills. Important efforts have been made to reduce academic misconduct among university students worldwide. However, academic misconduct still threatens the credibility of both students’ academic attainments and the reputation of higher education providers. Previous research has revealed various determinants of academic misconduct and can include both individual (e.g., gender, international status and attitudes) and institutional factors (e.g., culture, policies and course pressure). Whilst a few studies have found that international students are more likely to engage in academic misconduct than their domestic counterparts, the reasons still remain contested. Moreover, less attention has been given to international and domestic students from ethnic minority backgrounds simultaneously. This study extends the literature on academic misconduct by focusing on this group of students. The study aimed to explore academic misconduct for university students from ethnic minority backgrounds from the perspective of academic integrity officers. A mixed method approach is utilised, and the data is derived from academic integrity officers at a post-1992 university in England. Findings identify several shreds of evidence of unfair treatment of students from ethnic and culturally diverse backgrounds accused of academic misconduct. The study recommends that universities be more supportive than punitive and provide additional services to various groups, particularly international students used to a different education system back home.