Cultural norms, moral reasoning and student decision-making in multicultural higher education classrooms

Academic dishonesty remains a persistent concern in higher education, especially in multicultural classrooms where cultural norms, hierarchical values, and moral reasoning interact in complex ways. The study investigated how collectivism, power distance, and moral reasoning influence cheating behaviors among 700 undergraduate students in Ghanaian universities. Quantitative findings showed moderate engagement in academic dishonesty ( M = 2.85, SD = 0.91), high moral reasoning ( M = 3.67, SD = 0.74), strong collectivist orientation ( M = 3.92, SD = 0.81), and moderate power distance ( M = 3.45, SD = 0.76). Academic dishonesty correlated negatively with moral reasoning ( r = −0.38, p < 0.01) and positively with collectivism ( r = 0.31, p < 0.01) and power distance ( r = 0.22, p < 0.05). Latent profile analyses identified three subgroups: High Dishonesty/Low Moral (22%), mainly younger Akan and Ewe students; Moderate Dishonesty/Moderate Moral (45%), predominantly mid-aged Akan and Mole-Dagbani students; and Low Dishonesty/High Moral (33%), mostly older students from minority groups. Structural equation modeling confirmed moral reasoning as the strongest protective factor against dishonesty ( β = −0.42, p < 0.001), with collectivism ( β = 0.29, p < 0.001) and power distance ( β = 0.18, p = 0.003) positively associated with misconduct. Parallel mediation analyses showed that empathy, fairness, and rule-based reasoning partially mediated the moral reasoning–dishonesty link (indirect β = −0.29, 95% CI [−0.39, −0.20]). Qualitative findings from 12 interviews and 2 focus groups highlighted that communal support, religious beliefs, institutional fairness, and academic pressures shaped moral reasoning and rationalizations for dishonesty. Fear of social shame and reputational consequences consistently deterred misconduct. These findings demonstrate that cultural and moral reasoning factors exert stronger influence on academic dishonesty than demographic variables like gender or religion. Culturally responsive integrity education that aligns institutional policies with students’ moral and cultural realities is essential to foster ethical behavior in Ghanaian higher education.