Development of an Ecosystem to Enhance Academic Integrity in Thai Universities

Introduction: This research project aims to study the most appropriate approach and methodology for implementing the Academic Integrity Rating System (AIRS) in Thai universities, including policy recommendations that will be useful for implementing the tool in developing public policies in education in Thailand at the national and institutional levels. Objectives: The objectives are to study the creation of a prototype tool for developing an ecosystem to enhance the development of academic integrity in students that can be appropriately applied in the context of universities in Thailand, and to study the guidelines for implementing the prototype tool for developing an ecosystem to enhance academic integrity in students to be disseminated and expanded for use at the university and national policy levels. Methods: This study will be conducted in 12 participating universities nationwide. Data will be collected through focus group discussions and interviews with 3 key informants: Group 1 includes university personnel, Group 2 includes university students, and Group 3 includes international experts, including experts from the International Center for Academic Integrity and network universities in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as lecturers from universities in ASEAN countries. In total, there are 283 key informants. Results: The Academic Integrity Assessment System for Thai Universities (AIRS-TH) presents the working concept of the ecosystem, emphasizing the interactions between the components, demonstrating how it can be applied in practice, and providing tangible policy and practical advice for higher education regulators and universities in Thailand. It will provide actionable recommendations at the national and university levels to implement AIRS-TH in policy and practice in various areas, including legislative reform and university regulation amendments or the creation of new ones to enhance policy implementation efficiency. Conclusions: AIRS-TH was developed to provide a comprehensive roadmap for cultivating an ecosystem of academic integrity, covering everything from high-level commitment to undergraduate student behavior. The tool focuses on multidimensional operations involving personal ethics, institutional systems, and social norms, namely, creating a sustainable academic integrity ecosystem in Thai higher education. By operating along these dimensions, AIRS-TH can transform intangible academic integrity into something tangible and actionable.