Faculty Members and Conspiracy Theories: Responsibilities, Risks, and Strategies in Higher Education
Type
conference poster
Date Issued
2026-06-27
Author(s)
Abstract
Conspiracy theories (CTs) constitute epistemically unwarranted belief systems characterized by suspicion-driven sensemaking, self-sealing reasoning, and resistance to counterevidence. While higher education research has extensively examined students’ susceptibility to CTs, the role of faculty members as potential transmitters of such beliefs remains largely untheorized—despite their central responsibility for fostering scientific literacy, epistemic judgment, and critical thinking. This conceptual paper addresses this gap by situating faculty endorsement of CTs as a challenge not only to science communication but also to academic development and professional responsibility.
Drawing on a systematic distinction between scientific and conspiratorial thinking, we develop a heuristic model that integrates key predictors, manifestations, and consequences of CT endorsement among faculty. The model organizes consequences across four interrelated levels: students (e.g., erosion of epistemic trust and learning opportunities), the academic community (e.g., weakening of professional norms and peer accountability), higher education institutions (e.g., reputational and governance risks), and society (e.g., normalization of misinformation and radicalization). By explicitly linking these effects to core dimensions of academic development—teaching quality, professional ethics, and institutional responsibility—the paper extends existing debates beyond student-focused deficit models.
The contribution concludes by outlining transferable prevention and intervention strategies at micro-, meso-, and macro-levels, including pedagogical prebunking and debunking practices, faculty development initiatives, and institutional policies that balance academic freedom with epistemic responsibility. As a conceptual contribution, the paper aims to provide a scaffold for academic developers, higher education leaders, and researchers to diagnose risks, guide professional learning, and inform future empirical work on misinformation within academia.
Drawing on a systematic distinction between scientific and conspiratorial thinking, we develop a heuristic model that integrates key predictors, manifestations, and consequences of CT endorsement among faculty. The model organizes consequences across four interrelated levels: students (e.g., erosion of epistemic trust and learning opportunities), the academic community (e.g., weakening of professional norms and peer accountability), higher education institutions (e.g., reputational and governance risks), and society (e.g., normalization of misinformation and radicalization). By explicitly linking these effects to core dimensions of academic development—teaching quality, professional ethics, and institutional responsibility—the paper extends existing debates beyond student-focused deficit models.
The contribution concludes by outlining transferable prevention and intervention strategies at micro-, meso-, and macro-levels, including pedagogical prebunking and debunking practices, faculty development initiatives, and institutional policies that balance academic freedom with epistemic responsibility. As a conceptual contribution, the paper aims to provide a scaffold for academic developers, higher education leaders, and researchers to diagnose risks, guide professional learning, and inform future empirical work on misinformation within academia.
Language
English (United States)
Keywords
higher education
faculty
conspirational thinking
science
scientific thinking
beliefs
conspiracy theory
mental immunity
teaching
learning
academic development
brave space
epistemology
political education
responsibility
academic freedom
freedom of expression
critical thinking
trust
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Event Title
International Consortium for Educational Development (ICED) 2026 "Agency and Academic Development"
Event Location
University of Salamanca, Spain
Division(s)
Contact Email Address
stefan.siegel@unisg.ch
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Name
2026-03 Poster CT in Higher Education ICED 2026 Siegel et al.pdf
Size
2.46 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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