Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate science teacher candidates based on bioethical values, scientific literacy level and empathy skills and to determine their associations. Therefore, descriptive model was used for the study. The sample of the study consists total of 286 teacher candidates from first, second, third and fourth grade of Faculty of Education Science Teaching department. Results of the study revealed that bioethical values for “Benefits of Biotechnology Applications”, “Science and Ethics”, “Reproductive Technologies and Cloning”, “Controlling the Genetic Interventions” subscales were increased with school year in science teacher candidates. In addition, science literacy of science teacher candidates for “Nature of Science” and “Science-Technology-Society Relation” subscales were also increased with school year. The study also found a positive relation between bioethical values for two subscales of bioethical values, “Benefits of Biotechnology Applications” and “Controlling the Genetic Interventions”, and science literacy for “Nature of Science” subscales in science teacher candidates. Similarly, a positive relation was found between bioethical values for two subscales, “Benefits of Biotechnology Applications” and “Controlling the Genetic Interventions”, and science literacy for “Science-Technology-Society Relation” subscale in science teacher candidates. Analysis results showed a positive relation between bioethical values and empathy skills of science teacher candidates. In other words, the higher the teacher’s empathy skills, the higher their bioethical values.
Highlights
We all are living in an exciting, rapidly changing, technology-dependent, and challenging world
Results of Spearman Correlation analysis, which was used again to determine whether there was a relation between bioethical subscales and scientific literacy subscales in science teacher candidates, revealed that subscale of nature of science had a positive and weak relation with subscales of benefits of biotechnology applications and controlling the genetic interventions, whereas, it had a very low and negative relation with the subscale of reproductive technologies and cloning
Topics related to bioethics have gained considerable importance as a significant tool in science education to improve the scientific literacy of students (Chen & So, 2017; Putri, Tukiran, & Nasrudin, 2018)
Summary
We all are living in an exciting, rapidly changing, technology-dependent, and challenging world. Last few centuries witnessed major advancements in science and technology This increase in knowledge and the accompanying developments leaves all of us facing moral and ethical dilemmas. New technologies reminding science fiction like manipulations to human genetics, applications such as psychotherapy techniques, behavioral control mechanisms, use of life support units in comatose patients cause awareness and concern in the society and will continue to do so (Barman & Rusch, 1978). This has led to the need for consideration of ethical suitability in scientific research and application
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