Omani college students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of Turnitin and artificial intelligence in relation to academic integrity

Farhad Tayebipour, Mohammed Siddique, Abdelseid Hamid

Academic integrity is a fundamental principle in higher education that plays a key role in supporting students’ learning and research. Although Turnitin and Artificial Intelligence (AI) supported tools such as ChatGPT are used by higher education institutions, their relation to academic integrity needs to be investigated in various educational contexts. This study explores Omani college students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of Turnitin and ChatGPT in relation to academic integrity. This research was conducted using questionnaires and focus group interviews with students and lecturers from different disciplines. The questionnaire results were analysed by employing Chi-square and ANOVA tests while interview results were analysed thematically. The average questionnaire ratings were more than 3 out of 5 on Likert scale which is an indicator of their positive perception. This is further supported with an overall effect size of 1.01 obtained among General Foundation and Undergraduate programme students, indicating a large effect based on variance in perception. However, the effect size was found to be lower among the Postgraduate students. Furthermore, interview results revealed that AI use enhances learning, and interviewee quotes suggested that a balanced approach should be considered to prevent plagiarism and to foster critical thinking. The findings from both questionnaire and interview results indicate significant impact of Turnitin and AI on academic integrity which shows students’ and lecturers’ positive perception of AI use. This research underscores the fact that institutions play a pivotal role in shaping academic integrity provided they have clear AI policies, integrate AI literacy into curriculum, and promote responsible use through training and awareness raising. As a limitation, the findings are based on a heterogeneous sample of three different disciplines and levels. Future research should involve larger homogeneous samples along with other AI supported tools.