Academic Integrity: Perceptions and Practices among Prospective Teachers

Abstract

Academic integrity is a core value in higher education. It shapes how students think, learn, and act in their academic life. This study explored how prospective teachers understand and practice academic integrity in their daily academic work. A qualitative research design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen prospective teachers enrolled in BS Education programs at the University of Sargodha and the University of Education. The interview protocol was built around seven areas: the meaning of academic integrity, fairness and honesty, originality, responsibility, trust, respect, and courage. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. Eight main themes emerged from the data. These were: honesty as the base of academic integrity, fairness in giving equal treatment, originality and the growing role of artificial intelligence, responsibility toward institutional rules, trust as a foundation for group work, respect shown through acceptance of feedback, courage to speak up against wrongdoing, and the need for structured guidance on research ethics. Findings showed that prospective teachers have a fair and, in many cases, a fairly detailed understanding of academic integrity, but their practice is not always consistent with their understanding. Attitudes toward dishonesty were also influenced by peer pressure, fear of consequences, gender, and the rapid development of artificial intelligence tools. Instead of formal rules, the study suggests that teacher education programs focus more on hands-on experience with academic honesty and appropriate technology use. This study contributed to the limited qualitative literature about academic integrity of prospective teachers in Pakistan.