It’s complicated: staff experiences of academic integrity at a Mauritian university

Abstract

Background: Academic integrity is presented as a complex, multidimensional concept that involves all members of an educational institution. However, non-teaching staff members are often excluded from research on academic integrity. I engaged in professional support alongside academic staff to explore how academic integrity is understood within the Mauritius branch of a UK higher education institution. Methods: I adopted a qualitative approach to engage those tasked with implementing academic integrity to examine how they understood and practised it. Data were gathered through face-to-face focus-group interviews, which were translated into themes. Results: This article identified the factors that make academic integrity challenging and presents recommendations for practitioners and researchers. Conclusions: More energy should be invested in the processes that build cultures of integrity rather than focusing on the opposite, such as cheating, plagiarism, and misconduct. Academic integrity is ultimately a positive values-driven approach to learning and a skill that can be developed and strengthened.