Academic Ethics and Integrity in the Nigerian Higher Education System
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Introduction
Academic, according to Ezekiel (2020, p. 1), is described as an educational institution that prioritises studying, among other academic activities that involves critical thinking, reasoning and technical skills. On the other hand, it is crucial to note that the academic profession, in the contemporary times, has witnessed a massive widespread in its reach especially in regard to Higher education in Nigeria. What this means in real sense is that as the demand for higher education in Nigeria has interestingly been on the increase, the system gradually keeps losing its ethical standard which in turn, has resulted in the lack of public trust. Again, with the low investment and government interest in Higher Education in Nigeria, the quality of Nigerian system of education has undoubtedly declined and therefore calls for the need to rebuild trust in the system. Thus, it is based on this background that this article seeks to examine issues bordering on academic ethics and integrity in tertiary institutions of learning in Nigeria.
Ethics and Integrity in Teaching in Higher Education
It is important to note that the academic profession in developing countries like Nigeria is plummeted with varying degrees of conditions like accountability, privatization and marketisation. While lack of accountability has limited the traditional independence of the academic profession, privatisation has pressurised academics into seeking ways of generating income for themselves and the tertiary institutions via consulting, among other non-academic activities. In another event, through marketisation, academics have been encouraged to engage in entrepreneurial activities (Ezekiel, 2020). While the-abovementioned may seem to have positively transformed the face of higher education in Nigeria, it should not be forgotten that they have negatively affected the true sense of scholarship with the addition of a lot of distractions\ (Teferra & Phillip, 2002).
Teaching is a noble and highly revered profession that is held with tremendous amount of trust. As a matter of fact, teachers are expected to have higher standards of ethical behaviour and morals in comparison with other professions (Campbell, 2003). According to Clark (2004), teachers are engaged in one of the complex and ethically demanding jobs and this is more evident in higher institutions of learning owing to the weight and the amount of information explosion. It is the core responsibility of teachers to always be updated with new information, a requirement that will help them interact meaningfully with their students in the learning environment. Unlike teaching in primary and secondary schools, teaching in higher education comes with additional academic roles and non-academic responsibilities (Witchurch and Gordon, 2009).
However, such additional roles and responsibility calls for the need for professional behaviours and practices. It is no news that while some teachers carry out their duties diligently and sincerely, a great deal of others are involved in unethical behaviour that have ended up making a mess of the educational system in higher institutions of learning. Some of these unethical behaviours include examination malpractices, ‘life-less ‘or meaningfulness teaching with little value and impact on students, and others. Furthermore, some higher education teachers have dented the image of the academic profession in Nigeria through their engagement in fraudulent activities like the commoditisation and sexualisation of academic marks and grades, exhibiting lack of integrity and ethics of their profession in the society.
Macfarlane (2004) asserts that teaching in higher institutions of learning comes with a great deal of academic liberty for teachers-curriculum design, research, and teaching methods and such privileges bring with them crucial responsibilities of which the practice of integrity and ethics is imminent. However, it should be pointed out that the limitations of the academic profession in identifying the impact of these developments have also contributed to the present condition of higher education in the country. In regard to issues bordering on the decline in trust of teaching in higher institutions of learning across the country is consequent upon the effect of globalisation and changing social dynamics (Ezekiel, 2020, p. 3).
Social Changes and Ethics in the Higher Education System
Maurice and Ulrich (2007) opine that the structural transformation of higher education is consequent upon the interaction between social change and issues in education systems where students can gain knowledge to change the society. Nonetheless, the caliber of graduates produced through the Nigerian system of education calls for serious concern as different stakeholders in the education sector and the government generally is always in a debate in a bid to seeing ways through which standard of education and integrity of academics in the country’s education system can be bettered.
Higher education in the country also serves as a veritable tool to influencing the society. However, the depreciating ethics and standards of higher education especially among teachers and educators in general have contributed to the deterioration of the reputation of academics in Nigeria. Also, this is in addition to the spread of popular culture and indecent acts of promiscuity and academic fraud/theft from school campuses to the society (Ezekiel, 2020, p. 3). Based on the following, one may not be wrong to argue that the inability of higher education in the country to bring about positive changes in society has resulted in a crisis of confidence with a direct effect on the standards and ethical integrity of the academic profession (Ezekiel, 2020).
In another event, the implications of globalisation on Nigeria’s education system have been quite obvious as it has caused the proliferation of knowledge digitally and easily accessible. Despite its benefits on knowledge sharing and learning, its application has put most Nigerian higher institutions of learning at a disadvantage as they have not been able to meet up with global standards of education in terms of imparting skills needed for participation in the knowledge economy.
In a bid to correct the lowering academic standards of ethics and integrity in higher institutions of learning and thus, rebuilding trust in higher education and academics in the country, Ezekiel (2020, p. 4) presents the Edelman Trust Barometer as a strategy to be adopted. The Barometer highlights the following values.
Integrity to uphold ethical professional practice in teaching; to responsibly address issues bordering on academic crisis; an to maintain transparent practice.
Ability to engage with the school community by prioritizing value over profits, communicating frequently about the condition of the institution and considering the general welfare of employed staff.
Ability to lead in research and development; build ethics and integrity and offer standard and updated educational programmes.
Address the society’s need and core values; create educational programmes that would have positive impact on higher education and partner with Non-governmental organisations, the government and reputable private individuals that would help proffer feasible solutions to the challenges facing society.
Quality operations that would bring about good leadership and administrative structure, commitment to excellence and provision of constant higher returns on social investment (Ezekiel, 2020, p. 5).
Overall, the Trust Barometer highlights five clusters and attributes that are very crucial in rekindling trust, integrity, purpose and quality academic operations and services in higher education across the country. Again, with the thorough application of these attributes into the country’s higher education system, sustainable knowledge will be created and transmitted in such a way that students’ interest and fate in the education system will be resuscitated.
Conclusion
The article examined academic ethics and integrity in higher education system in Nigeria. It revealed that the nation’s system of education has failed in delivering quality knowledge in line with global standard. More often than not, higher education in the country has been bedeviled with unethical practices and behaviours, leading to lack of integrity on the part of both teachers and students. Despite the social effects of the dwindling education system on teachers and students, the article recommends the Edelman Trust Barometer as a tool to building trust and integrity in higher education in the country.
References
Campbell, E. (2003). The Ethical Teacher. Maidenhead, PA: Open University Press.
Clark, J. (2004). The Ethics of teaching and teaching of ethics. New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 1(2), 80-84.
Ezekiel, C., E. (2020). Academic Ethics and Integrity: Rebuilding Trust in the Nigerian Higher Education System. International Journal of Educational Benchmark (IJEB), 17(1), 1-7
Maurice, K. & Ulrich, T. (2007). Key Challenges to Academic Profession. UNESCO Forum on Higher Education Research and Knowledge. International Centre for Higher Education Research at the University of Kassel. http://www.uni-kassel.de/incher/v_pub/cap1.pdf.
Teferra, D. & Phillip, G., A. (2002). Trends and Perspectives in African Higher Education. In: D. Teferra & P., G. Altbach (ed.). African Higher Education: An International Reference Handbook. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Whitchurch, C., & Gordon, G. (2009). Changing Academic and professional identities in higher education. A paper presented in Track 3: Leadership and Administration, Lithuania. http://www.eair.nl/forum/vilnius/pdf/515.pdf
