Influence of Students’-Staff Interactions on Academic Delinquency amongst Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in Kiambu and Nairobi Counties-Kenya

Abstract

Academic delinquency has manifested itself in practices through practices such as: ‘sex for grades,’ sneaking unacceptable materials into examination rooms popularly known as ‘mwakenya’, plagiarism of assignments among other delinquent practices which have greatly affected the quality of university education in Kenya. So, this study sought to answer the research question: what is the influence of students’-staff interactions on academic delinquency amongst undergraduate students in public universities in Kiambu and Nairobi Counties in Kenya? The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches targeting 40 Deans, 12 heads of departments, 120,000 undergraduate students, 2 counsellors, 2 registrars and 2 examination coordinators from Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Using stratified, multistage and purposive sampling criteria, a total of 414 respondents were sampled to participate in the study. For ethical purposes, the two universities were coded as X and Y in the analysis of data. Questionnaires and structured interview guide with open-ended test items were used to collect data from the students and deans, heads of departments, counselors, registrars and exam coordinators respectively. The study found that students’ interactions with members of staff during lecturers, Class work, sport and social functions was found to influence engagement in academic delinquency amongst students, as supported by more than 60% of respondents from both university X and Y. The study recommends a collaborative teaching and learning practice, where parents, staff and other stakeholder are engaged in ensuring proper ethics are instilled to all earners in universities.