Perceptions of Anti-Corruption Education and Intentions for Corruption Among Students in Malaysian Higher Education

The education for anti-corruption has become essential as part of human governance efforts to fight against corruption, alongside the laws and regulations enforced by the government. Since October 2023, the Ministry of Higher Education has made it compulsory for universities to offer an anti-corruption education course as part of their higher education compulsory curriculum. This study aims to investigate the adequacy of anti-corruption education and its impact on the intention to engage in corruption from the perspectives of undergraduate students. A questionnaire survey was administered to a sample of 265 undergraduate students from one public university in Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of three sections that examined the students’ perception of the implementation of anti-corruption education and their intention to engage in corruption. The study employed descriptive statistics and a partial least squares approach for data analysis through the SmartPLS programme. The findings of the study revealed that a strong majority of students in Malaysian higher education institutions perceive anti-corruption education as a crucial preventive initiative that brings about positive outcomes in demonstrating its role to cultivate ethical values, raise awareness, and promote a responsible society. Notably, the study emphasised that students exposed to formal anti-corruption education show a significant reduction in the intention to engage in a corrupt act. While the findings substantiate the current acceptance of anti-corruption education among students, they also indicate opportunities to enhance the pedagogical approach through more interactive real case studies and improved issue comprehension. This study contributes to the limited literature concerning anti-corruption education by focusing on the students’ perception of anti-corruption education, with manifold interesting implications for academics, practitioners, policymakers, and the entire education system. Furthermore, the study extends social learning theory to the realm of anti-corruption education in Malaysia.