ETHICAL ISSUES IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ BEHAVIORS: BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF BANGLADESHI STUDENTS

Abstract

The degree of unethical activities by university students is increasing day by day. Taking it as a matter of important concern, the present study measures the extent to which Bangladeshi university students believe their behaviors as ethical and how often they practice those. The students’ rating for each of the selected 28 behaviors was measured on a five-point Likert scale. 270 students of six universities participated in this study who were selected randomly and given a questionnaire to fill up and return to us instantly at their respective university campuses. Regarding the selected students’ beliefs and practices on their ethical behaviors in and outside the classroom, the results indicate that ‘intentionally irritating the teachers and making fun with them by mimicking their voice’, and ‘walking in and out the classroom during the class hour’ are believed as the most unethical but are rarely practiced behaviors. On the examination related and other issues, the extreme unethical behaviors as believed by the most sample students are ‘making misbehavior with invigilators and cheating in the examination hall’ and ‘willful damage of university property’. The frequency with which the students practice their believed unethical behaviors dominates the never-done alternative. That is, with few exceptions, the beliefs of most students on their ethical behaviors are reflected in their practices