Jul 2026· Systems and Computing· 0 citations· 38 references
TL;DR
It is concluded that AI-related academic misconduct is often a rational behavioral choice driven by perceived institutional unpreparedness rather than ignorance, and calls for a transition toward adaptive academic integrity frameworks that prioritize ethical awareness and transparent academic policy communications to students.
Abstract
Context: This study examined the intersection of academic integrity and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) adoption among students in Nigerian universities, addressing a critical gap in empirical, student-centered research from the Global South. Objective: To investigate students' knowledge, usage patterns, and perceptions of GenAI, as well as their awareness of academic integrity and the behavioral factors that shape ethical decision-making in AI use. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 262 undergraduate and postgraduate students from nine Nigerian higher education institutions. The study was informed by relevant literature from major academic databases. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with Prospect Theory applied as the theoretical framework. Results: Findings revealed high AI literacy, with 84.7% of participants already integrating AI tools into academic work. However, a significant knowledge–behavior gap emerged: while over 90% acknowledged the importance of academic honesty, only 36% believed AI use required disclosure. This ethical ambiguity was compounded by weak institutional guidance: 74.8% of students reported being unaware of their university AI policies. Inferential analysis indicated that students engage in risk–reward evaluations, where low perceived detection risks and academic pressures frequently outweigh potential sanctions. Conclusion: This study concludes that AI-related academic misconduct is often a rational behavioral choice driven by perceived institutional unpreparedness rather than ignorance. It calls for a transition toward adaptive academic integrity frameworks that prioritize ethical awareness and transparent academic policy communications to students.
This study explores how digital literacy shapes research integrity among final-year Library and Information Science students at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, within AI-mediated academic environments. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected from thirty participants through interviews and focus groups and analysed thematically to capture students’ experiences of digital research and ethical decision making. The findings show that although students display strong ethical awareness linked to their professional identity, this does not always translate into practice. Digital competence supports source evaluation and reference management, but also enables uncritical copying, use of rewriting tools, and uncertain engagement with artificial intelligence, especially under academic pressure. Behaviour is further influenced by inconsistent supervision, unclear institutional guidance, and peer norms. The study reframes digital literacy as an ethical competence rather than a purely technical skill, showing that its role in research integrity depends on intention and context. It contributes evidence from an underexplored African setting and highlights the need for clearer, discipline-sensitive policies on AI use, alongside stronger supervision and integrity education.
A. Dunmade· IQRO Journal of Islamic Educ...· 0 citations
The findings advance academic integrity research by shifting attention from attitudes to scenario-based decision quality and clarifying the internalization mechanism through moral cognition.
Hao Deng, Minli Yang, Liling Huang et al.· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations
The study highlights the need for ethical training, policies, and clear guidelines to ensure responsible use of GAI, promoting innovation while safeguarding academic values.
H. Albadi· International journal of com...· 0 citations
It is concluded that in order for undergraduate education to continue to be relevant in a society where AI is pervasive, governance must change toward process-oriented evaluation and relational originality.
Joe Mutebi, Brian Mugisha, Ibrahim Adabara et al.· F1000Research· 0 citations
It is argued that AI-related integrity disputes are better understood as conflicts between competing values than as individual moral failings, and implications for policy design, assessment reform, and faculty development are discussed.
M. Grobler· Proceedings of the Internati...· 0 citations
The increasing use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has changed the academic writing practices of students, presenting both opportunities to improve learning and challenges to academic integrity. The study explored the relationship between the GenAI use profile, academic integrity awareness, ethical judgment and decision-making, and responsible GenAI use practices in academic writing of fourth-year students of North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU). It examined students’ awareness of risks to academic integrity associated with GenAI, ethical judgment and decision-making in GenAI-assisted writing, and responsible AI-use practices. The study also explored the lived experiences and perceptions of students on ethical use of GenAI in academic writing. A descriptive correlational design was employed. The quantitative data were collected from 303 fourth-year students selected using simple random sampling. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that respondents were generally moderately aware of GenAI-related academic integrity risks, exhibited moderately manifested ethical judgment and decision-making, and demonstrated moderately practiced responsible GenAI use behaviors. Significant relationships were found between GenAI use profile and academic integrity awareness, academic integrity awareness and ethical judgment and decision-making, and ethical judgment and decision-making and responsible GenAI use practices. These findings suggest that while students possess foundational knowledge and ethical awareness regarding GenAI use, gaps remain in translating awareness into consistently responsible practices. The study underscores the need for comprehensive AI literacy programs, explicit institutional guidelines, and ethics-focused educational interventions that promote transparency, accountability, critical evaluation, and responsible human oversight in AI-assisted academic writing.
Christianne Mae R. Rivas, Mardie E. Bucjan· International journal of res...· 0 citations