{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T15:58:53Z","timestamp":1780588733601,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Informing Science Institute","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JITE:Research"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Aim\/Purpose: To examine how ethical awareness, cognitive appraisal (trust and perceived usefulness), digital competence, academic performance, and gender influence university students\u2019 ethical use of ChatGPT and academic integrity.\n\nBackground: This study explores how university students\u2019 use of ChatGPT influences academic integrity in higher education. It responds to emerging integrity challenges posed by generative AI by empirically testing a model that links transparency, plagiarism avoidance, bias awareness, and responsible use to academic integrity outcomes across universities in the Gulf region.\n\nMethodology: PLS-SEM analysis of survey data from 318 students across five Gulf-region universities; tests direct effects of four ethical variables, mediation by trust in AI and perceived usefulness, and moderation by digital literacy and CGPA.\n\nContribution: This study provides empirical evidence that core ethical-use dimensions significantly enhance academic integrity; clarifies the mediating roles of trust\/usefulness and the moderating roles of digital literacy\/CGPA; and documents gender and discipline differences in usage.\n\nFindings: All four ethical variables positively and significantly predict academic integrity: Trust in AI and perceived usefulness act as partial mediators. Digital literacy and CGPA significantly moderate several relationships. High-performing and senior students report more frequent and effective use of ChatGPT; gender and discipline differences are evident.\n\nRecommendations for Practitioners: Embed digital literacy and ethical-AI training (transparency, anti-plagiarism, bias awareness, responsible use) into curricula; implement inclusive AI policies; and guide trust calibration and verification workflows to support responsible use.\n\nRecommendation for Researchers: Extend the model across countries and disciplines; examine longitudinal effects; test additional mediators (e.g., AI anxiety, institutional policy clarity) and moderators (e.g., year of study, assessment type); compare alternative SEM and causal designs.\n\nImpact on Society: Promotes responsible AI adoption that safeguards academic ethics, supports equitable student outcomes, and informs policy for trustworthy AI use in higher education ecosystems.\n\nFuture Research: Conduct multi-institutional replications, experimental interventions on ethics\/digital literacy training, and studies of assessment design that balance AI use with integrity (e.g., oral\/ authentic assessments).<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.28945\/5730","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T22:27:31Z","timestamp":1773527251000},"page":"08","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Academic Integrity and Students\u2019 Ethical Use of ChatGPT in Higher Education"],"prefix":"10.28945","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"Rima","family":"Shishakly","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ajman University of Science and Technology"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3490-0878","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mirna","family":"Nachouki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ajman University of Science & Technology"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"11490","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"container-title":["Journal of Information Technology Education: Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.jite.org\/documents\/Vol25\/JITE-Rv25Art08Shishakly12876.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.jite.org\/documents\/Vol25\/JITE-Rv25Art08Shishakly12876.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T22:27:31Z","timestamp":1773527251000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.informingscience.org\/Publications\/5730"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":0,"alternative-id":["5730"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.28945\/5730","relation":{},"ISSN":["1547-9714","1539-3585"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1547-9714","type":"print"},{"value":"1539-3585","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}}}