Navigating the Gray Areas of Academic Integrity

AKA Can I use Study Support? Is this okay?!

_{By Sylvia Gray}

Can I use Study Support without risking concerns regarding academic integrity and misconduct? 

Absolutely! You can definitely use Study Support without any concerns about academic integrity and misconduct. We understand that when you’re searching for help, it can be hard to know who to trust and whether a service supports academic integrity. (Wow there are some dodgy websites out there, right??). 

We want to assure you that we prioritise academic integrity in everything we do. Our Study Support Coaches are trained to provide guidance and support, but not to give you the answers or complete work for you. However, we also felt it’s important to do a deep-dive and explain the ins and outs so you can make your own decisions in this ‘gray’ area (teehee – see what I did there? Study Support by Gray Matters … gray areas … I’ll see myself out). 

What is academic integrity?

Every university provides a slightly varied definition; however, it is ultimately guided by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA;  2022) which defines it as: “the expectation that teachers, students, researchers and all members of the academic community act with honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.” Thus, all behaviours as a student, including completing and submitting your assessments, should avoid academic misconduct, which may include (Deakin University, 2021; Swinburne University of Technology, n.d.; University of New England, 2021): 

• Attempting to bribe or coerce someone to provide you with unearned benefit
• Collusion: Collaborating with someone else to present work that is not your own as if it is your own original work
• Contract Cheating: Purchasing or having someone else complete an assignment on your behalf, whether or not they are paid for their services
• Impersonation: Taking another student’s test or quiz on their behalf; or having someone else to take your quiz or exam
• Plagiarism: Presenting work that is not your own without giving proper credit, and failing to reference sources  (For a prominent example, check out this video [approx 1 min] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9_KGQPGNoQ)
• Self-plagiarism: Submitting work that you have previously submitted without obtaining permission to do so from the course instructor

Why should students care about academic integrity?

For students, academic integrity is crucial for developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies required of psychologists. On the other hand, students who engage in academic misconduct not only lose the opportunity to engage with the learning opportunity itself but also risk developing a gap in knowledge and skills that can have significant ramifications for their future studies and careers. 

For example, a psychology student who engages in academic misconduct, such as paying someone else to complete their literature review on schizophrenia would mean they miss out on the opportunity to develop the fundamental understanding and skills required for a psychologist. Such a gap in knowledge and skills could limit their ability to succeed in practice; imagine meeting someone with schizophrenia and not knowing anything about the disorder and effective interventions. Further, punishment for academic misconduct includes outcomes such as failing the unit, expulsion from the university, or even criminal charges. 

Academic integrity is not only important for individual students, but also for the credibility and functioning of the educational system and the university. Students engaging in academic misconduct can call into question the legitimacy of their degrees and qualifications, which can undermine the trust and confidence that others have in the educational system.  In addition, it can lead to doubt about the competency of the professionals emerging from the academic system. After all, you wouldn’t trust a dentist who never learned to administer anaesthetics, would you? Similarly, clients of psychologists will want to trust that their practitioner has developed the knowledge and skills required to provide evidence-based interventions.

Finally, academic integrity ensures every practitioner is practising ethically and within their competencies.  Psychologists are bound by the Australian Psychological Society (2007) Code of Ethics, which includes the principle of Integrity. This means psychologists, and those training to be a psychologist must demonstrate integrity. The code specifies this includes ensuring assessments, including academic assessments, are relevant and valid measures of the student’s learning. Engaging in academic misconduct nullifies the value of the assessment. 

Why do breaches of academic integrity happen? aka Why do some students cheat?

Numerous studies have been conducted on the motivations of students involved in academic breaches (you knew we were bringing evidence to this party, didn’t you??; Blum, 2016; Bretag & Harper, 2017; Bretag et al., 2018; Brimble, 2016; Curtis et al., 2018; Krou et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2020; Moss et al., 2018; Siaputra, 2013; TEQSA, 2017). The primary causes include: 

• Differing perceptions of what is considered acceptable regarding academic integrity, whether current or historical 
• Difficulty understanding and expressing oneself, particularly for non-native speakers
• Difficulty managing time effectively and a tendency to procrastinate
• Dissatisfaction with the learning and teaching environment 
• Life pressures such as work or family obligations
• Anxiety and stress
• Low self-confidence, self-efficacy, and resilience
• Inadequate academic skills and knowledge
• High levels of competition in education and the job market
• Lack of motivation or interest in the subject matter 

On the other hand, students who avoid cheating typically have (Bretag & Harper, 2017; Rundle et al., 2019):

• Personal learning goals
• An environment encouraging integrity
• Support to avoid misconduct
• Academic self-efficacy
• Understanding of assignment requirements
• Sufficient assessment feedback
• Approachable supports

While some of the above factors are outside our control (e.g., competitive educational and employment markets), many can be influenced by yourself and Study Support coaches. In fact, that’s our speciality!

Our coaching approach differs from traditional tutoring as we offer a more holistic approach. Yes, we help you to develop psychology-specific knowledge and skills. Beyond this, we help you develop internal goals, self-efficacy, self-confidence, academic skills, resilience, and internal motivation. We also get real with you and provide practical, meaningful tips and support on strategies to reduce procrastination (no, we’re not going to tell you to get a planner), anxiety, and adapt to life as challenges and hurdles inevitably present themselves. We see our role as equipping you, our future colleague, with the necessary skills to succeed long-term. 

How does Study Support by Gray Matters support academic integrity?

Our Study Support Coaches will: 

• Create safe spaces that foster learning. We will be compassionate and supportive. We’ve been where you are; we know stress can melt the brain. Our learning spaces are judgement-free!
• Provide honest, specific, constructive feedback that really helps. We focus on teaching and ensuring any suggestions are coupled with explanations. You will always understand why we make certain recommendations, so you can use the knowledge in the future.
• Guide your exploration of a topic or assessment task.
• Foster individualised teaching and learning relationships.
• Coach you toward the achievement of your academic goals.
• Support you in clarifying assignment expectations and creating assessment plans.
• Meet you where you are and help take your skills and knowledge to the next level.
• Demonstrate and help students adapt to norms of academic and professional integrity.
• Assist with clarification of ideas or concepts from unit content you may find challenging.
• Help you to find motivation for assignments that you may find challenging or uninspiring.
• Guide reflection on your feedback for continued improvement with clear, actionable strategies.
• Support you in boosting your academic self-efficacy in a genuine manner (no toxic positivity here!).
• Share tips and tricks to developing and demonstrating your understanding and critical analysis.
• Reduce study-related anxiety and boost resilience, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and academic skills.
• Help you to prepare for exams with individualised strategies and tools that suits your learning styles, needs, and goals.
• Collaborate with you regarding successful study habits and strategies that combat time management and procrastination.
• Support you in developing a strong understanding of appropriate use of quotations, paraphrasing, summarising, and referencing.
• Prioritise your goals, whatever they may be. We do not have, and will not impose, any alternate agendas. We will tailor our services to your needs. 
• Support learning and development beyond unit/assessment requirements and help you to prepare for post-graduate studies and/or practical work.
• Seek and adapt to your feedback. Over time, we have added multiple services in response to student suggestions and want to continue evolving into the best possible service for you.

Our Study Support Coaches will not:

• Tell you what to write.
• Provide answers for you.
• Write any assessment for you (whether in whole or part).
• Complete any assessment (in whole or part) on your behalf.
• Provide examples of assignments, as this can lead to multiple concerns of academic misconduct. 
• Be available while you are completing an online quiz or exam.
• Encourage or advise students on how to engage in academic misconduct.
• Review for, or make any guarantees regarding plagiarism in a student’s writing.
• Shame you. Judge you. Speak down to you. Get angry at you. Instead, we will empathise, empower, and uplift you.
• Estimate or guarantee your mark. There are too many external, uncontrollable variables. We consider it dishonest and unethical to estimate a mark. Instead, we will support you in delivering your highest quality work while developing strategies.

That was a lot, but we understand that using any kind of support may raise questions or concerns for you. We welcome your questions and encourage open communication with our team. Book a free Meet and Greet to discuss this further. 

References 

Australian Psychological Society. (2007). Code of ethics. https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/d873e0db-7490-46de-bb57-c31bb1553025/18aps-code-of-ethics.pdf

Bretag, T., & Harper, R. (2017). Assessment design won’t stop cheating, but our relationships with students might. The Conversation, 12. https://theconversation.com/assessment-design-wont-stop-cheating-but-our-relationships-with-students-might-76394

Bretag, T., Harper, R., Burton, M., Ellis, C., Newton, P., Rozenberg, P., … & van Haeringen, K. (2019). Contract cheating: a survey of Australian university students. Studies in higher education, 44(11), 1837-1856. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1462788

Brimble, M. (2016). Why students cheat: An exploration of the motivators of student academic dishonesty in higher education. Handbook of academic integrity, 365. 

Curtis, G. J., Cowcher, E., Greene, B. R., Rundle, K., Paull, M., & Davis, M. C. (2018). Self-control, injunctive norms, and descriptive norms predict engagement in plagiarism in a theory of planned behavior model. Journal of Academic Ethics, 16(3), 225-239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-018-9309-2

Deakin University. (2021, July 30) Student Academic Integrity Policy. https://policy.deakin.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00107

Krou, M. R., Fong, C. J., & Hoff, M. A. (2021). Achievement motivation and academic dishonesty: A meta-analytic investigation. Educational Psychology Review, 33(2), 427-458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09557-7

Lee, S. D., Kuncel, N. R., & Gau, J. (2020). Personality, attitude, and demographic correlates of academic dishonesty: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(11), 1042. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000300

Moss, S. A., White, B., & Lee, J. (2018). A systematic review into the psychological causes and correlates of plagiarism. Ethics & Behavior, 28(4), 261-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2017.1341837

Siaputra, I. B. (2013). The 4PA of plagiarism: A psycho-academic profile of plagiarists. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.21913/IJEI.v9i2.892
Swinburne. (n.d.). Academic integrity. https://www.swinburne.edu.au/student-login/academic-integrity/ 

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. (2017, Oct 4). https://www.teqsa.gov.au/guides-resources/resources/good-practice-notes/good-practice-note-addressing-contract-cheating-safeguard-academic-integrity 

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. (2022, Oct 13). What is academic integrity? https://www.teqsa.gov.au/students/understanding-academic-integrity/what-academic-integrity University of New England. (2021, Dec 16). Student Coursework Academic Misconduct Rule. https://policies.une.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00257

Disclaimer

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TL;DR: We did our very best to ensure the data presented here is accurate. However, things change, and there are many moving parts. Please double-check the data before making decisions and know that we cannot be responsible for decisions made on this information alone.

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