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Abstract
Academic integrity in higher education is a topic of choice, especially in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Hence, institutions are making waves to establish a concrete, sustainable policy to regulate and monitor students and promote a credible academic experience. This study investigated the level of academic integrity and academic performance among tertiary students at a higher education institution in Olongapo City, Philippines. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, the study assessed the perceptions of 395 participants who were sampled via convenience sampling. The investigation employed a research tool adapted from a previous study comprising five latent variables: Honesty, Fairness, Respect, Trust, and Responsibility. This investigation was conducted during the first semester of the academic year 2025-2026. Employing both descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, the study revealed a high overall level of academic integrity, with honesty emerging as the highest-rated dimension. Academic performance was similarly robust, with 37.2% of the sample achieving a "Very Good" and 30.1% reaching "Excellent." Inferential analyses using t-tests and ANOVA indicated significant differences in integrity levels by sex at birth, college affiliation, and year level. At the same time, age specifically influenced perceptions of Fairness and Trust. Correlation analysis established significant positive relationships between all integrity dimensions and academic achievement. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis identified Trust as a significant unique predictor of academic performance, with honesty showing marginal significance. These findings suggest that a student's commitment to ethical standards is intrinsically linked to their scholastic success. The study concludes that educational institutions must implement tailored interventions that account for demographic diversity to cultivate a culture of Trust and Responsibility, ultimately fostering a sustainable learning environment that supports both ethical standards and academic outcomes.
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Type: Research Article
MEDITERR J SOC BEH RES, Volume 10, Issue 2, November 2026, 59-67
https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/19292
Publication date: 20 Sep 2026
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