PERSONAL VALUES AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated personal values as a predictor of academic dishonesty among undergraduates in public universities in Anambra state. The study has two research questions and two hypotheses. The study adopted correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 43,085 undergraduates from two public universities in Anambra State. The sample size of the study comprised 400 undergraduates (191 males and 209 females) drawn using proportionate stratified sampling procedures. Two instruments were used for data collection. The instruments were Personal Value Questionnaire (PVQ) and the Academic Dishonesty Questionnaire (ADQ). The reliability coefficients of the instruments were 0.89 and 0.88 for PVQ and ADQ. The data collected were analyzed using simple regression statistic to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that personal values have a negative predictive value on academic dishonesty among undergraduates in public universities in Anambra State. Personal values have negative predictive values on academic dishonesty among male and female undergraduates in public universities in Anambra State. Based on the findings of the study, conclusion was drawn. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that university administrators should integrate personal values development programs into the academic curriculum and extracurricular activities by organizing regular seminars, workshops, and ethical leadership training aimed at fostering integrity and reducing academic dishonesty among students.