Plagiarism governance in Scottish higher education institutions : a critical exploration of nurse educatiors' opinions

• Main Author: Welsh, Marion M.
• Published: University of Strathclyde 2012
• Subjects: 370
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.576381

The occurrence of plagiarism in Higher Education symbolises a complex and multifaceted phenomenon which presents educators with challenges concerning its comprehension, management and, consequently, its governance. Within Nurse Education this scenario is further influenced by the requirements of professional learning and Fitness to Practise governance established by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Consequently, Nurse Educators are required to engage with dual processes in the educational setting when plagiarism occurs and appears to challenge the attributes of professional learning regarding the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by exploring and illuminating the opinions of Nurse Educators concerning the governance of plagiarism which, as an area of education practice, has remained uncharted. Undertaken in two complementary phases, this descriptive study utilised a documentary analysis of the plagiari sm policies of Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) which offer Nurse Education (n = 11) and a pan-Scotland webbased survey which sought Nurse Educators' opinions (n = 187). The documentary analysis demonstrated HEIs' intention to provide direction for educational practice via policy directives. However, notable were deficits within policies in comprehensively articulating the dimensions of plagiarism, in particular, its unintentional manifestation. From the survey, statistically significant findings verified Nurse Educators' opinions regarding how policy should be contextualised and communicated to explain the nature of plagiarism. Statistically significant findings confirmed the importance of managing plagiarism supported by the transparent alignment between HEI and professional governance processes to enable, support and sustain consistent management in the context of professional learning. Also illuminated within the findings were the discrete role implications for Nurse Educators which present convoluted challenges in addressing both the pedagogical and professionally mediated responsibilities. The conclusions from this study argue that Nurse Educators endorse governance processes that are pedagogically centred, responsive to professional learning and are proportionally appropriate.