Indigenous perspectives on academic integrity in post-secondary institutions in British Columbia

Abstract

The international literature on academic integrity in post-secondary environments considers various points of view, but the perspectives of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in the nation now known as Canada are acutely underrepresented. Using talking circle and art-based inquiry methods, this qualitative research explores the views of Indigenous faculty, staff, administrators, and graduates affiliated with a mid-sized post-secondary institution in British Columbia, Canada. Through the imagery of the Medicine Wheel, this study reveals a holistic vision of academic integrity that emphasises relationships with people and knowledge. The implications of this relational paradigm are discussed, including responses to academic misconduct that preference educative opportunities, consider intent, and enable restorative justice. The contrast between the perspectives of the Indigenous participants and the neoliberal paradigm, which foregrounds many academic integrity policies, is examined. The findings further underscore ways in which prevailing approaches may inhibit integrity by fostering systemic, social, and pedagogical barriers to developing a relationship with knowledge. This study adds Indigenous voices to the research literature and provides an entry point for considering how Indigenous perspectives may inform more inclusive and equitable approaches to academic integrity.