Internationalization in higher education has become a growing trend globally and a viable means by which higher education institutions can generate supplemental income. International students from India constitute the second largest population of international students in the U.S., behind China. As of 2017, according to the Department of State, the U.S. hosted 186,267 post-secondary students. A primary challenge for international students in the classroom remains the issue of academic integrity and plagiarism. One of the factors frequently cited as a reason for academic dishonesty is culture or ethnicity. Though many studies have been conducted on the ethnic and cultural factors behind plagiarism for Chinese students, the same is not valid for students from India. Thus, the following presentation will describe the results of an empirical study examining the cultural factors related to academic dishonesty and Indian international students. This study was based on the hypothesis that a one-size-fits-all approach to academic dishonesty cannot be applied to all international students. Utilizing phenomenography, semi-structured interviews were conducted at a university in India to understand better how Indian post-secondary students, who have had no contact with the Western education system, view the topic of academic dishonesty. The results of this study will assist educators in fostering cultural competence and developing improved strategies to combat plagiarism.

Authors:
Ahmed Alwan, California State University, United States
Eric P. Garcia, California State University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Ahmed Alwan is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at California State University, Northridge in United States

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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