ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL AREA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35774/gsip2025.02.166Keywords:
academic integrity, educational process, research, ethical principles, culture, European Educational AreaAbstract
Academic integrity is a key factor in the quality of education, reflecting honesty, trust, and ethical behaviour. Promoting proper academic practice is important not only in itself; it is also a means of improving learning, ensuring fair assessment in higher education, and constitutes the first step toward fostering research integrity.
The article examines the phenomenon of academic integrity as a fundamental principle of the functioning of the modern higher education system. It explores the concept of academic integrity, which encompasses ethical norms, professional standards, and rules of conduct for all members of the academic community — students, lecturers, researchers, and administrators. Ethical, legal, and institutional aspects of academic integrity are analysed, emphasizing its significance for educational quality, societal trust, and fairness within the academic environment. The article outlines various forms of academic misconduct (plagiarism, data falsification, the use of unfair advantages, etc.) and their impact on the quality of education and public trust in the outcomes of scientific and educational activities.
It is argued that the rapid expansion of higher education and the development of digital technologies heighten the risks of dishonest behaviour, which underscores the relevance of implementing educational programmes aimed at cultivating a culture of integrity. The article presents international experience with such initiatives, including online courses, trainings, role-playing activities, and ethical discussions. It is established that, within the European Educational Area, the promotion of a culture of integrity, the development of common approaches, the exchange of practices, and the enhancement of integrity governance in universities are supported by the European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI), the ETINED platform, and the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). The EU regulatory framework is also analysed. The article highlights the importance of comprehensive strategies — educational programmes, institutional support, clear sanction mechanisms, and national regulatory frameworks — for developing and strengthening a culture of academic integrity in the context of contemporary challenges. It is concluded that academic integrity is a key condition for the sustainable development of educational systems and for maintaining trust in science and higher education.
References
Andrushchenko, V. (2018). Akademichna nedobrochesnist yak vyklyk intelektualnii spromozhnosti natsii [Academic dishonesty as a challenge to the intellectual capacity of the nation]. Holos Ukrainy, (132), 10 (in Ukrainian).
Batarchuk, I. I. (2020). Akademichna dobrochesnist v osvitnomu seredovyshchi yak zaporuka uspikhu [Academic integrity in the educational environment as a key to success]. Studentskyi visnyk Natsionalnoho universytetu vodnoho hospodarstva ta pryrodokorystuvannia, 1(13), 127–130 (in Ukrainian).
Kozynets, A. O. (2024). Napriamy stratehichnoho upravlinnia systemoiu akademichnoi dobrochesnosti v umovakh tsyfrovoi transformatsii osvitnoho seredovyshcha [Directions of strategic management of the academic integrity system in the conditions of digital transformation of the educational environment]. Problemy suchasnykh transformatsii. Seriia: ekonomika ta upravlinnia, (16). doi.org/10.54929/2786-5738-2024-16-04-09 (in Ukrainian).
Palamar, S., & Naumenko, M. (2022). Realizatsiia pryntsypiv akademichnoi dobrochesnosti yak diievyi instrument zabezpechennia yakosti vyshchoi osvity [Implementation of academic integrity principles as an effective tool for ensuring the quality of higher education]. Osvitolohichnyi dyskurs, 3–4 (38–39). doi.org/10.28925/2312-5829.2022.345 (in Ukrainian).
Slobodianiuk, O. (2019). Do pytannia akademichnoi dobrochesnosti u vyshchii osviti: pohliad ekspertiv SShA ta Ukrainy [On academic integrity in higher education: View of experts from the USA and Ukraine]. Pedahohichni nauky: teoriia, istoriia, innovatsiini tekhnolohii, 8(92), 23–33 (in Ukrainian).
Sopova, K. A. (2019). Poniattia ta vydy plahiatu: mizh pravomirnym zapozychennyam ta nedozvolenym vykorystanniam [The concept and types of plagiarism: Between lawful borrowing and unauthorized use]. Sudova ekspertyza ob’iektiv intelektualnoi vlasnosti: teoriia i praktyka, (5), 42–52 (in Ukrainian).
Anohina-Naumeca, A., Birzniece, I., & Odiņeca, T. (2020). Students’ awareness of the academic integrity policy at a Latvian university. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 16 (1), Article 12. doi.org/10.1007/s40979-020-00064-4 (in English).
Ayodele, F. O., Yao, L., & Haron, H. (2019). Promoting ethics and integrity in management academic research: Retraction initiative. Science and Engineering Ethics, 25, 357–382. doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9941-z (in English).
Bošković, M. (2023). Rethinking legislation governing academic integrity in the European context. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 13(3), 11–32. doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1585 (in English).
Chen, S., & Macfarlane, B. (2024). Academic integrity in China. In S. E. Eaton (Ed.), Second Handbook of Academic Integrity (pp. 23–29). Springer Nature Switzerland. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54144-5_32 (in English).
Christensen Hughes, J., & Eaton, S. E. (2022). Academic misconduct in higher education: Beyond student cheating. In S. E. Eaton & J. Christensen Hughes (Eds.), Academic integrity in Canada: An enduring and essential challenge (pp. 81–102). Springer International (in English). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83255-1_4
Cotton, D. R., Cotton, P. A., & Shipway, J. R. (2024). Chatting and cheating: Ensuring academic integrity in the era of ChatGPT. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 61(2), 228–239. doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2190148 (in English).
Cronan, T. P., Mullins, J. K., & Douglas, D. E. (2018). Further understanding factors that explain freshman business students’ academic integrity intention and behavior: Plagiarism and sharing homework. Journal of Business Ethics, 147, 197–220. doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2988-3 (in English).
Fishman, T. (2016). Academic integrity as an educational concept, concern, and movement in US institutions of higher learning. In T. Bretag (Ed.), Handbook of academic integrity (1st ed., pp. 7–21). Springer (in English). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-098-8_1
Gonzalez Fuster, G., & Gutwirth, S. (2016). Promoting integrity as an integral dimension of excellence in research: D II.4 Legal analysis. PRINTEGER (in English).
Holden, O. L., Norris, M. E., & Kuhlmeier, V. A. (2021). Academic integrity in online assessment: A research review. Frontiers in Education, 6, Article 639814. doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.639814 (in English).
Striepe, M., Thomson, S., & Sefcik, L. (2023). Understanding academic integrity education: Case studies from two Australian universities. Journal of Academic Ethics, 21(1), 1–17. doi.org/10.1007/s10805-021-09429-x (in English).
QAA. (2020). Academic Integrity Charter for UK Higher Education. Retrieved from: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/about-us/academic-integrity-charter.pdf?sfvrsn=93f0d181_8 (in English).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
