Educators' Perceptions of the Influence of Academic Environment on Ethics Education: A Comparative Case Study of Two Engineering Departments

Abstract

This full research paper explored the relationship between academic environment and faculty members' perspectives on ethics instruction. Ethical responsibility and awareness of the societal impacts of technology are crucial learning outcomes for future engineers. The study and practice of ethics are convergent since the subject draws on engineering and the humanities with the aim of positioning students to responsibly address the most pressing societal challenges. In the curriculum, faculty members' decisions regarding course content, including those related to ethics and societal impacts (ESI), result from a host of factors including influences at the department, college, and institutional levels. This exploratory study examined engineering faculty members' perception of their academic environment in relation to ESI education via a comparative case study of two engineering departments. The mixed-methods design included faculty interviews and surveys to understand participants' perceptions of culture, leadership, and curricular importance related to ESI. The study also employed document analysis to contextualize the formal inclusion of ESI and to triangulate the findings. The data suggested the influence that culture and leadership, especially at the department level, exert on perceptions of support for ESI instruction. Across both departments, the data indicated the high value that faculty place on ESI in engineering education. The findings suggest the importance of establishing both bottom-up and top-down support for ESI education and creating a culture in which espoused values align with formal structures and policies. With increasing attention paid to the inclusion of ESI and growing responsibility on engineering faculty, it is important to acknowledge the environment in which educators develop their instructional practices and perspectives.