Learning motivation and student academic dishonesty: A comparison between face-to-face and online courses

There is a disagreement among researchers in regard to academic dishonesty in online as compared to traditional learning settings. Based on this, the aim of the current study was to investigate the connection between academic dishonesty in the virtual versus face-to face teaching/learning settings in relation to students' learning motivation, while examining the phenomenon from a cross-cultural perspective. The sample consisted of 1,574 participants 803 from USA and 771 from Israel. The results showed that there are significant differences in students’ likelihood to engage in academic dishonesty based on the type of course, such that students in face-to-face courses are more likely to engage in acts of academic dishonesty than their counterparts in online courses. In addition, it was found that students’ propensity to engage in academic dishonesty is explained by motivational orientation, type of course, and age. The findings were consistent across student groups in both countries. The phenomenon can be explained by the fact that more intrinsically motivated students self-select online as opposed to traditional classroom courses, and because online instruction facilitates increasing levels of intrinsic motivation.