Academic Stress and Anger Expression in Science as Predictors of Academic Dishonesty of Stem Students

AUTHOR(S)

ROEL JR. P. DIALOGO ROGAR R. GARCIA, EdD

ABSTRACT

— The country’s performance highlighted ongoing educational challenges and raised concerns about the occurrence of academic dishonesty. These actions of academic dishonesty lower the standards and damage academic institutions’ reputations. This study is conducted to determine the significance of the correlation and the combined degree of influence of academic stress and anger expression on academic dishonesty of STEM students. The researcher adopted a non-experimental quantitative approach using descriptive-predictive and utilized cluster random sampling. Using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient involving 228 STEM students in the Division of Davao City, it found out that academic stress and anger expression are significantly correlated to the academic dishonesty. Furthermore, the multiple linear regression analysis found that only the anger expression can predict the academic dishonesty of STEM students. Academic stress however cannot predict academic dishonesty. Overall, the findings denoted that this study partially affirms the General Strain Theory by Robert Agnew. Future researchers may replicate this study using additional variables related to stress. It is encouraged to utilize the anger expression as the mediating variable to completely affirm the theory. Qualitative research may be conducted to explore emerging themes and sub-themes that will uncover the stressors and any related factor that will test the students’ academic integrity. Keywords — Academic Stress, Anger Expression, Academic Dishonesty, STEM Students