Academic integrity and generative AI: Disciplinary teachers’ perspectives on ethical dilemmas in assessing writing in EMI universities

Abstract

The advent of generative AI (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT and others, has transformed academic writing practices in the last few years. This has raised significant challenges for disciplinary teachers in upholding academic integrity in English Medium Instruction (EMI) universities, especially in the Global South. This study, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Four Component Model of Morality, investigated these concerns. Using a qualitative research design, this study reveals that disciplinary teachers in Bangladeshi EMI universities hold diverse attitudes towards GenAI tools, with most educators expressing concerns regarding their suitability for developing students’ academic writing skills. The findings illustrate the need for policy development and implementation, and, most importantly, improving students’ ethical literacy to ensure that GenAI is used as a tool to enhance their learning experiences. This study has several implications for policymakers, teachers, administrators, and students in higher education institutions, contributing significantly to the evolving discourse on academic integrity and the use of GenAI in higher education, offering practical and theoretical insights from the Global South.