Ethics and Values Studies at the National Science Foundation supports research and educational projects on ethical and value aspects of the interaction between science, technology and society. It is appropriate, therefore, for EVS to support projects that explore the preparation of scientists to recognize and evaluate value-laden elements in scientific practice and uses of science. Directed at basic cognitive and educational processes, this empirical research explores (1) the current state of undergraduate values education across science and non-science disciplines; (2) the extent to which values analysis skills are content or domain specific; and (3) ways of enhancing the usefulness of values education to science students. This study is the second phase of an ongoing research project. Responses to questionnaires administered in Stage 1 indicated that mathematics and science faculty were less inclined than humanities faculty to feel that values issues should be treated in their courses; student responses from both humanities and science majors indicated the belief that there was a significant discrepancy between the extent to which values education should occur and did occur in their major courses. Humanities majors reported more preparation to handle values- related issues than did science majors. The second stage extends the research in two ways: (1) More specific information will be sought in an effort to determine the particular aspects of faculty, courses, and teaching methods which are associated with effective values education, and (2) Techniques for the assessment of students' values analysis skills will be developed, to provide more direct evaluation of student outcomes. Assessment of these abilities will allow the research to explore whether, and in what ways, the values analysis skills of humanities and science students differ, and whether values skills learned in humanities courses transfer to science issues (and vice versa) or whether values abilities are content specific. Results of this research will be made available to a scholarly audience of scientists and educators by publication in professional journals. In addition, knowledge gained from this project will be disseminated to a broader audience by inclusionin a book on values education in the liberal arts college. Plans for the book, authored by an interdisciplinary group of faculty, are in progress in consultation with an interested publisher. This project addresses a need which has been described by educators, administrators, and public policymakers. The investigators are well qualified; the sponsoring institution provides an appropriate venue for the research; research plans are appropriate; and results will be of interest to a broad audience. An award in the amount of $25,087 is therefore recommended.
