Socio-ethical education in nanotechnology engineering programmes: a case study in Malaysia

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology Engineering Education
• Socio-ethical Studies

Background:

• Nanotechnology's unique properties necessitate specialized education.
• A key challenge is integrating socio-ethical awareness into nanotechnology engineering programs.
• Developing competent professionals requires technical skills alongside ethical understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Malaysian nanotechnology engineering students' attitudes towards socio-ethical issues.
• To evaluate if ethical education objectives are met within their programs.
• To investigate the influence of socio-ethical education on student perspectives.

Main Methods:

• Development of a research model to assess student attitudes.
• Evaluation of perspectives throughout the nanotechnology engineering program.
• Analysis of the impact of socio-ethical education.

Main Results:

• Socio-ethical education strongly influences students' knowledge.
• It also impacts students' skills and attitudes regarding socio-ethical issues.
• Positive correlation found between socio-ethical education and student preparedness.

Conclusions:

• Socio-ethical education is vital for holistic nanotechnology engineering training.
• The research model effectively assesses student socio-ethical development.
• Findings support the integration of ethics into engineering curricula.