Academic dishonesty: a Kenyan medical school experience

Abstract

Background: Academic dishonesty, or cheating as commonly expressed, is an age-old practice that is widespread across the whole world. The Kenyan experience is anecdotal with limited studies, especially in medical schools. This study shares the experience of medical students about this challenging vice.

Objective: To determine the level and forms of academic dishonesty in Moi University, School of Medicine.

Design: Cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaire.

Setting: The School of Medicine, Moi University, Eldoret-Kenya.

Subjects: One hundred and fifty-six students in the clinical (4^th, 5^th and 6^th) years of study.

Results: Eighty percent of the students were aware of academic dishonesty, 75% had witnessed it in progress while 60.9% confessed to participating in it. The proportion of dishonest students varied with year of study and those previously exposed to academic dishonesty in secondary school and males were more likely to be involved. A majority (72.6%) of those engaged in academic dishonesty believed that their classmates were also doing it. The leading forms of academic dishonesty were signing nominal rolls for absent friends and cheating in examinations using illegal notes and electronic access to information.

Conclusion: Academic dishonesty is prevalent with the majority of those involved believing that their classmates are also into the practice. The leading forms of academic dishonesty include both traditional analog and modern digital methods.