Exploring Academic Integrity in a Cultural Context

This essay examines academic integrity within a cultural context, focusing on the challenges faced by international students in universities. It uses Hofstede's and Trompenaars' models to explain how cultural differences, particularly hierarchy versus equality and individualism versus communitarianism, impact educational styles. The author reflects on personal experiences and observations, highlighting issues such as rote learning in hierarchical cultures and difficulties with individualistic learning approaches common in Western education. The essay concludes that variations in learning cultures lead to different learning styles, emphasizing the need for educators to understand and accommodate diverse cultural backgrounds to promote academic integrity and effective learning.

Running head: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT
Academic integrity in a cultural context
Student’s Name
University Name
Author’s Note

2ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT
Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Discussion..............................................................................................................................3
2.1 Hierarchy versus Equality................................................................................................3
2.2 Individualism versus Communitarianism.........................................................................3
3. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................4
Reference List............................................................................................................................5

3ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT
1. Introduction
Since in recent times, the universities are having to deal with increasing number of
foreign students, the lecturers are consistently becoming more aware of the ways in which
personal culture of the students are impacting teaching as well as the learning outcomes.
2. Discussion
Using the Hofstede’s and Trompenaars model, as stated in the research study by
Tarhini, Hone and Liu (2014) an attempt can be made to explain how the cultural differences
are leaving their impression up on the educational styles.
2.1 Hierarchy versus Equality
The teachers who are acculturated in to the hierarchal cultures tend to expect that
under any circumstance, the students would display reverence as well as respect towards
them. Students pertaining to such cultures expect that the teachers are knowledgeable in all
respects and they would provide them with all sorts of information that is needed by them. In
such culture, the students suffer. I have seen many of the peers suffer from this culture, where
debate between the teacher and the student are not expected to happen as that would be
considered as a sign of disrespect to the teacher. The worst impact of this culture is that the
students tend to move towards rote learning. On the contrary, Tarhini, Hone and Liu (2014),
states that in the education culture that support equality among the students, teachers prefer to
perform as facilitators. They also expect debate from the students. I have personally learnt
that students learn better through questioning as well as discussing.
2.2 Individualism versus Communitarianism
The culture of individualism in education is mostly practiced in western culture. The
students are also expected to learn by themselves and teachers only provide essential

4ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT
guidance in case if they encounter any difficulty in learning. As a student coming from
community oriented culture, I have seen that group collaboration is a commonplace thing and
copying from other’s work is permitted. That is why, studentship in the western educational
culture is a bit problematic for me. I do not get professors who are as accessible or supportive
as I expect them to be. I have seen that some of my peers do not understand, how the tutorial
classes are run. That is why many of them are hesitant to speak up and participate in the
lecture sessions also (Chang 2017). Thus I see that many students in my class, prefer to
observe and learn. Some other prefer verbal instructions and follow the words of the tutors
religiously.
3. Conclusion
I have observed that difference in the learning culture, create bifurcation in the
learning styles. Some have a determination of “Show me and I will learn”. Others follow
“Tell me and I will learn”. Lastly, the culture that the migrating students mostly exhibit is
“Give me the instruction and I will learn accordingly.”

5ACADEMIC INTEGRITY IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT
Reference List
Chang, W.W., 2017. Approaches for Developing Intercultural Competence: An Extended
Learning Model With Implications From Cultural Neuroscience. Human Resource
Development Review, 16(2), pp.158-175.
Tarhini, A., Hone, K. and Liu, X., 2014. The effects of individual differences on e-learning
users’ behaviour in developing countries: A structural equation model. Computers in Human
Behavior, 41, pp.153-163.