MORAL COMPASS AND UNETHICAL PRACTICES IN ACADEMICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BARINGO COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Academic honesty is a critical aspect of an education system as it ensures learners have the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies. However, there have been reported incidences where learners have engaged in unethical practices. This study sought to establish whether moral compass is related to the enactment of ethical practices in academics among 396 systematic sample of secondary school students aged between 16 to 21 years. Data was analyzed using descriptive and correlational approaches. The results showed that the majority of the respondents had a high moral compass. Also, very few (12%) had never engaged in unethical practices in academics. In addition, moral compass was inverse and significantly related to involvement in unethical behaviours in academics. It was recommended that further studies should be conducted on why there is incongruence between student’s beliefs and values and ethical practices in academics.  Article visualizations: