Effects of the Teaching by Ethics Insertion to Environmental Ethics Development in Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The objective of this quisi-experimental research was to evaluate the effects of the teaching by ethics insertion to environmental ethics development in undergraduate students. The cluster random sampling was used in this research. The sample were 46 students, the 3rd year and the 4th year student in major in environmental and occupational health, Faculty of Public Health, Mahasarakham University. The research instrument was the teaching by ethics insertion process for 2 hours per weeks, total 15 weeks (30 hours). Pre-test and post-test were used the same instruments. The instruments were 1) teaching management plan by ethics insertion, 2) the learning outcome test, 3) an assessment form of environment ethics, and 4) a questionnaire of the satisfaction of the teaching management. The reliability of these questionnaires were 0.78 and 0.80, respectively. The data were analyzed by percentage, mean, standard deviation and paired t-test. The research finding revealed that 82.6 percent of the sample were female. The effectiveness of the teaching by ethics insertion for environmental ethics development revealed that: 1) there average environmental knowledge post-test score (xˉ =52.45, SD = 2.24) was significantly higher than the pre-test scores (xˉ =29.34, SD = 11.05) at the 0.05 level (p-value < 0.001). 2) Their average environmental ethics post-test score (xˉ =111.26, SD = 4.49) was significantly higher than the pre-test scores (xˉ =76.93, SD = 4.48) at the 0.05 level (p-value < 0.001). Their average environment ethics score in 8 components showed that the pre-test score indicated their environment ethics at level 2 (ethics for alliance) (xˉ = 2.14, SD = 0.63), however, the post-test score indicated their environment ethics at level 3 (ethics for society) (xˉ = 3.09, SD = 0.53). 3) The sample satisfaction regarding this teaching management plan was at high level (xˉ = 4.23, SD = 0.31). The summary, the teaching by ethics insertion for environmental ethics development could develop the sample environmental knowledge and environmental ethics at a high level which were post-test score higher than pre-test. Thus, the lectures should be encouraged to implement the teaching by ethics insertion in other students.