TIME MANAGEMENT AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated time management as a predictor of academic dishonesty among undergraduates in public universities in Anambra State. The study was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 43,085 undergraduates from two public universities in Anambra State. The sample size consisted of 400 undergraduates (191 males and 209 females) selected using proportionate stratified sampling procedures. Two instruments were used for data collection, namely the Time Management Questionnaire (TMQ) and the Academic Dishonesty Questionnaire (ADQ). The reliability coefficients of the instruments were 0.94 and 0.88 for the TMQ and ADQ respectively. The data collected were analyzed using simple regression statistics to answer the research questions and test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that time management negatively predicted academic dishonesty among undergraduates in public universities in Anambra State. The findings also showed that time management negatively predicted academic dishonesty among both male and female undergraduates in public universities in Anambra State. Based on the findings of the study, conclusions were drawn. In view of the findings, the study recommended, among others, that university administrators should integrate programmes that inculcate adequate time management skills into the academic curriculum and extracurricular activities through regular seminars, workshops, and ethical leadership training aimed at reducing academic dishonesty associated with poor time management among students.