Perspectives of academic integrity from Nigeria

Abstract

Integrity or honesty is crucial to the pursuit of academic knowledge in learning institutions such as those in the Nigerian educational system.In recent times, this system has been replete with reported and unreported cases of academic integrity breaches, making the goal of achieving academic integrity a major challenge.This could be, in part, as a result of various perspectives of what constitutes academic integrity in the Nigerian context.A number of factors have been identified as being responsible for this variation, including the education system, pedagogy, sociocultural environment, economic environment, infrastructure, technology, institutional policies, and management systems.This chapter provides a synopsis of the different perspectives of academic integrity in Nigeria.It then examines the present academic climate, policies and practices, and their impact on academic integrity-related issues.It also provides an overview of the development of research and practice in the field of academic integrity in Nigeria, highlighting the unique issues relating to academic integrity.It concludes by presenting an overview of the major challenges associated with academic integrity and possible ways of instituting a culture of integrity in the Nigerian academic system.