Academically Dishonest Behaviors among Dental Hygiene Students - Dissertation Example

Only two studies have been identified that focus on academic dishonesty rates in dental hygiene programs in the United States. Both studies indicated widely differing results ranging from11% to 87%. The purpose of the proposed quantitative study is to determine the effects of an honor code and faculty discussion of academic dishonesty to provide dental school administrators with an empirical basis upon which to address academic dishonesty. The proposed study will use Muhney’s published Academic Dishonesty in Dental Hygiene Programs quantitative survey to determine whether having an honor code has an effect on the rate of academic dishonesty in dental hygiene programs.

The survey will consist of 12 Likert-type format and yes or no and ranking questions. The survey will be electronically distributed to approximately 2,500 dental hygiene students in programs throughout the United States. Responses will be analyzed using descriptive statistics measuring frequencies. Inferential analyses will be performed to test the four null hypotheses of this study. Two-tailed tests and an alpha level of .05 will be used for all inferential tests. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 6 Background 8 Problem Statement 11 Purpose 12 Theoretical Framework 12 Research Questions 15 Nature of the Study 16 Significance of the Study 18 Definitions 18 Summary 19 Chapter 2: Literature Review 20 Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism 22 Academic Dishonesty as an Indicator of Future Behavior 23 Academic Dishonesty among Business Students 25 Academic Dishonesty in Medical Schools 27 Field of nursing 28 Optometry students 29 Pharmacy schools 29 Schools of Dentistry 30 Field of dental hygiene 31 Methods of Cheating 32 Academic Dishonesty and Technology 34 Why Students Cheat 35 Honor Codes 40 Summary 42 Chapter 3: Research Method 43 Operational Definition of Variables 52 Data Analysis Plan 53 Methodological Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations 55 Ethical Assurances 56 Summary 57 Appendixes 67 Chapter 1: Introduction Academic dishonesty compromises the purpose and the breadth of education, harming honest students who work to gain the knowledge needed to be successful and possibly harm the future patients of the students (Lambert, Hogan, & Barton, 2003; Muhney et al., 2008). Nevertheless, the rates of academic dishonesty have steadily increased since the subject was first formally studied in 1964.

Rates are estimated to have risen from 26% in 1964, to 52% in the 1990s, to 60% in 2008 (Fox, 2006; Happel & Jennings, 2008). Most students are believed to engage in academically dishonest behaviors at some time (Lanier, 2006). Between 40% and 90% of postsecondary students admitted to some form of academic dishonesty, with a rate as high as 75% in general education study subjects (Happel & Jennings, 2008). Academic dishonesty is also increasing in medical and dental programs in the United States (McCabe, 2009; Muhney et al., 2008). For example, it was reported 100% of the students in 2008 in the Texas dental hygiene programs were aware of the classroom academic dishonesty guidelines because the instructors had covered this subject in class.

Even though the instructor reviewed this information with the students the academic dishonesty rates for these programs was 87% (Muhney et al., 2008). The risks posed by inadequate knowledge in a clinical care field provided evidence of the higher risk for many other areas. Dental hygienists provide direct patient care and need to have the knowledge to provide competent oral care (Honny et al., 2010; McCabe, 2009; Muhn