Survey of science teachers and students' opinions on learning ethics in a science classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to collect the preliminary data on teachers' and students' opinions on learning ethics in a science classroom. This study is a cross-sectional survey research and mailed questionnaires were used to collect data. The questionnaires used in this study consisted of four major parts.The two sample groups were 107 science teachers from Mahidol Wittayanusorn School and Princess Chulabhorn's College and 288 grade 10 science students from Mahidol Wittayanusorn School and Princess Chulabhorn's College. The survey showed that 37.9 percent of students rated their level of understanding of ethics in science as high or very high. That ethics in science is important was rated high or very high by 92.7 percent of students. In addition, 66.3 percent thought that they are interested in studying ethics in science. More importantly, both teachers and students agreed that there should be an academic requirement of learning ethics for all science students by incorporating or integrating in a regular science class rather than in a class with a specific science and ethics focus. Hybrid learning, which is the combination of face-to-face and web-based learning, can be an appropriate pedagogical method of learning ethics in science. The findings will be used to design suitable pedagogical methods of learning ethics in science in the second phase of the study. These methods will be implemented in a grade 10 science class at Mahidol Wittayanusorn School and will eventually be offered for use of other schools in Thailand. © Common Ground, Washirasorn Saengsuwan, Manat Boonprakob, Somson Wongyounoi, Sirinoot Teanrungroj.