Moral Reasoning Schemas and Moral Reasoning Schemas and Views on Science, Technology Views on Science, Technology

and Society in Biomedical and Society in Biomedical Graduate Students and FacultyGraduate Students and Faculty

Ann M. Peiffer,

J. Charles Eldridge, and Nancy L. Jones

Project Funding NSF 0530028 to NLJ & CE; WFU Graduate School; & NIH NS544722 to AMP

Testing MeasuresTesting Measures

Pre- and Post-testing

Defining Issues Test (DIT-2) Does the curriculum increase their

moral reasoning skills?

58 questions from the Views On Science Technology and Society (VOSTS) Do we alter student viewpoints to the

faculty perspective?

Testing in Relation to Testing in Relation to CurriculumCurriculum

Pre-testing Day 1

Year 1 (2 semesters)

Scientific Professionalism: Scientific Integrity

Year 2 (2 semesters)

Scientific Professionalism: Bioethics and Social

Responsibility

Orientation (4 days)

Post-testing At Exit Session

Special Ethical Special Ethical ConsiderationsConsiderations

IRB Approval Students could opt out without

penalty Anonymity assured

Used Testing ID Numbers Sealed envelopes held by staff during

interim Exit Session required to redistribute ID #s

Demographics collected were tailored Age modified (e.g., <25 = 00, ≥25 = 01) Educational information skipped

Control GroupsControl Groups

Senior Graduate Students Completed a RCR requirement

without problem-based learning Roughly same point in graduate

career Graduate School Faculty

Majority ended up being involved in the course

Included postdoctoral fellows who were facilitators

EnrollmentEnrollment

VOSTS DIT-2 Both

2006 Graduate Students

Post-tested

54 54 53

27 29 26

2007 Graduate Students

49 47 46

*Post-tested 18 24 ?

2008 Graduate Students

46 48 46

Senior Grad Students

14 16 13

Faculty 25 31 22

*Post-testing closed May 15th

Percent Predominant Type Percent Predominant Type SchemaSchema

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

PI MN PC

2006 Grad Students2007 Grad Students2008 Grad StudentsSr. Grad StudentsFaculty

55%

40 vs. 27%

6 vs. 19%

Pre- to Post- DIT-2 Value Pre- to Post- DIT-2 Value ChangeChange

Reduction in Personal Interest scores (p<0.04)*

Marginal increase in Maintaining Norms (p<0.07)#

0

10

20

30

40

50

Personal_Interest Maintain_Norms Postconvential

Pre-test

Post-test

*

#

58 Questions from original 58 Questions from original VOSTSVOSTS

Original survey Aikenhead et al., 1989: Definitions of Science and Technology

(n=3) External Sociology of Science:

Influence of Society on Science/Technology (n=7)

Influence of Science/Technology on Society (n=14)

Influence of School Science on Society (n=1)

Internal Sociology of Science: Characteristics of Scientists (n=10) Social Construction of Scientific Knowledge

(n=12)

Epistemology (n=11)

VOSTS Unity Analysis VOSTS Unity Analysis ResultsResults

Greater unity on how science and technology impact society

Lower than predicted unity regarding social nature of scientific knowledge epistemology or nature of scientific

knowledge

Faculty have lower unity than predicted by chance.

Cohort 1 had greater unity at post-testing than at pre-testing.

DIT Type significant on DIT Type significant on VOSTSVOSTS

Politics in America affects American scientists, because scientists are very much a part of American society. Scientists ARE affected by American politics:

Because funding for science comes mainly from governments which control the way the money is spent. Scientists sometimes have to lobby for funds.

Because governments not only give money for research, they set policy regarding new developments. This policy directly affects the type of projects scientists will work on.

PI

MN and

PC

DIT Predominant Type to DIT Predominant Type to VOSTSVOSTS

A team of scientists in any part of the world (for example, Italy, China or Nigeria) would investigate the atom in basically the same way as a team of American scientists.

Scientists from different countries conduct their investigations differently: Because of the different social conditions,

resources, ideas and culture which affect everything, including the methods used by scientists.

Because the way you do science depends on the technology available. But even though scientists use different technology, they use the same scientific method.

PI and MNPC

In ConclusionIn Conclusion

On DIT-2 Equal portions of

Postconventional Remaining graduate students

tended toward Maintaining Norms

Faculty tended more toward Personal Interest

Curriculum increases Maintain Norms and decreases Personal Interest while building consensus on VOSTS

To early to tell relationship between VOSTS and DIT-2

DIT Predominant Type to DIT Predominant Type to VOSTSVOSTS

With the same background knowledge, two scientists can develop the same theory independently of each other. A scientist’s individuality WILL influence

the content of a theory because different scientists conduct research differently. Therefore they will obtain different results. These results then influence the content of a theory.

The scientist’s individuality will NOT influence the content of a theory because this content is based on facts. The way a scientist interprets the facts will, however, be influenced by his or her individuality.

PI and MN

PC