Broadening ethics teaching in engineering: beyond the individualistic approach

Area of Science:

• Engineering Education
• Ethics
• Science, Technology and Society (STS) Studies

Background:

• Current engineering ethics education predominantly adopts an individualistic approach, overlooking the wider socio-professional context.
• This narrow focus is criticized in academic literature and reflected in widely used engineering ethics textbooks.
• The inadequacy of this approach fails to fully prepare engineering students for their ethical, professional, and social responsibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the limitations of the individualistic approach in engineering ethics education.
• To explore the potential contributions of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) scholarship to enhance ethics training.
• To assess how STS scholarship can improve learning outcomes for engineering students' ethical and social accountability.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and critical analysis of existing engineering ethics pedagogical approaches.
• Examination of relevant scholarship within Science, Technology, and Society (STS) studies.
• Assessment of the applicability and impact of STS frameworks on engineering ethics education.

Main Results:

• The individualistic approach is insufficient for developing comprehensive ethical and social responsibility in engineers.
• STS scholarship offers valuable theoretical and practical insights to broaden the scope of engineering ethics education.
• Integrating STS perspectives can lead to more robust learning outcomes concerning engineers' societal roles.

Conclusions:

• A shift from individualistic to context-aware ethics education is crucial for engineering students.
• Science, Technology, and Society (STS) studies provide a vital framework for addressing the shortcomings of current ethics pedagogy.
• Adopting STS approaches will better equip future engineers for multifaceted ethical and social challenges.