A Phenomenological Study: The Identification of Faculty Member Characteristics and Environmental Factors that Influence the Reporting of Student Academic Misconduct at a Private Urban University.

摘要

The issue of student academic misconduct, most often seen as cheating or plagiarism, has plagued higher education professionals and institutions for decades. Negative faculty member feelings associated with having to deal with incidents of student academic misconduct are well documented, and only serve to support reasons why faculty members might ignore these violations. This qualitative phenomenological research study approached this issue through the lens of seeking to identify perceived characteristics and environmental factors that influence faculty members to choose to address and report incidents of student academic misconduct.;The researcher interviewed 10 college faculty members to explore their lived experiences and perceptions involving their decision to address and report student academic misconduct violations over the past five years. Through responses to open ended questions, the research participants shared six behaviors common to the literature review regarding current student academic misconduct behavior, in addition to five descriptions of current students related to why they are engaging in this behavior. The research participants' identification of four negative reactions to these incidents is noteworthy given their decision to still proceed with the reporting process.;Study participants revealed nine shared individual characteristics and three shared environmental factors that they perceive to influence their decision to report student academic misconduct violations. The results of this study, based on findings resulting from the experiences shared by the participants, highlight five themes that influence the reporting of student academic misconduct including feelings of support, efforts to reduce misconduct, consideration for how the student responds to the allegation, values of the faculty member, and faculty peer influence.;Leadership in the college, specifically the department head and dean, plays a major role for faculty members in feeling supported in their decision to report student academic misconduct violations. This significant environmental factor, coupled with the individual characteristics that influence faculty member decisions to report student academic misconduct, paved the way for multiple recommendations in support of faculty members at the conclusion of the study.