The Impact of Academic Integrity Instruction on Students' Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Academic Writing

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has created new opportunities and ethical challenges in academic writing. This study investigated the impact of academic integrity instruction on university students’ AI usage behaviors and understanding of ethical AI use in academic writing. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed involving undergraduate students who completed questionnaires before and after an instructional intervention focused on academic integrity and responsible AI practices. The findings indicated that academic integrity instruction contributed to reduced plagiarism-related behaviors and more purposeful AI use. Students demonstrated improved understanding of the distinction between AI-assisted and AI-generated writing and reported greater use of AI during appropriate stages of the writing process. The study suggests that academic integrity instruction may play an important role in promoting responsible AI integration and strengthening ethical academic practices in higher education.