Insight into ethical cyber behaviour of undergraduate students at selected African universities

Abstract

Method: A survey design, questionnaire as the tool for data collection was adapted and samples for the study were drawn from undergraduate students in two conveniently selected universities in South Africa and Nigeria. Overall, 450 undergraduate students were invited to participate in the survey; 380 respondents completed and returned the questionnaire, resulting in a response rate of 84.4%.Results: Most of the respondents from the sampled universities reported that they were aware of what constitutes unethical cyber behaviour. Furthermore, the participants revealed that they hardly received orientation at the universities on cyber behaviour. The challenges that the students faces were reported. Conclusion:This study recommends that universities should sustain orientation and/or training programmes on cyber-ethics and cyber security awareness at the start of each academic year. The results of this study may spark further discussions and research on cyber technology access and use in contemporary society.

La question de l’intégrité académique dans l’enseignement supérieur au Nigeria : une perspective phénoménologique

“…La plupart des étudiants et des enseignants-chercheurs n'ont même aucune connaissance de la cyber-éthique. Ce problème ne semble pas être particulier au Nigeria parce que l'Afrique du Sud a le même problème (Aderibigbe & Ocholla, 2020). • Les difficultés économiques, qui poussent les étudiants et même les enseignants à se livrer délibérément au plagiat.…”

Synopsis on Cyberethics Behaviour: A Literature Review

“…Since most faculties in the institutions were already overburdened with course loads, it has been difficult for the academic board of the Ghanaian universities to introduce and approve new courses. Other noticeable challenges in a study by Aderibigbe and Ocholla (2020) are: lack of adequate training for teaching cyberethics, lack of cyber morality and ethical conduct in the use of cybertechnology, among others.The study also observed external challenges like the absence of a National Information Policy (NIP) on cyberethics or information ethics. As noted by the author, the situation may be connected to the slow nature of the judicial system to curb the harmful practices regarding cyberethics behaviour.…”