The development of a plagiarism instructional package to enhance undergraduate students’ plagiarism knowledge, awareness, and behavior

Abstract

This research aimed to (1) develop an instructional package for teaching
research plagiarism ethics to undergraduate students; and (2) investigate the
effects of the instructional package on undergraduate students’ plagiarism
knowledge, awareness, and behavior. The research methodology was
quasi-experimental research using the two-group pretest-posttest design,
where the experimental group received the pretest, the instructional package,
and the posttest. In contrast, the control group was administered both
the pretest and posttest without exposure to the instructional package.
Participants were 62 undergraduate students from the Research for Learning
and Teaching Development (RLTD) course. Research instruments included
a knowledge four-option multiple-choice test, an awareness five-point
Likert scale, and a three-point analytical rubric behavioral checklist with
five dimensions. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and ANCOVA—
the instructional package comprised learning objectives, teaching, teaching
materials, and an assessment. After receiving the instructional package,
experimental-group students’ plagiarism knowledge and awareness increased
at a statistical significance of .05. Moreover, the experimental group gained
more significant knowledge than the control group at a statistical significance
of .05. However, no significant difference in awareness was found between
the two groups. Students receiving feedback on research proposals
showed more significant ethical research behavior than those receiving no
feedback.