Research Methodology and Ethics - Researcher Education for Undergraduate Students in the Process and Environmental Engineering Study Programmes

摘要

In this article, we describe the design, development and implementation of research methodology education carried out in the Department of Process and Environmental Engineering at the University of Oulu. This qualitative case study aims, using questionnaires, to clarify how to foster students' awareness of ethical issues in research. A total of 25 students participated in the research methodology education in spring 2004, 4 students in the group of distance learning and 21 students of contact education. The first research question concerns the meaning of ethical education when helping students to construct knowledge of ethical issues in research and science. The second question is whether students learn as well through distance learning environment, as when participating in contact lessons? Statistically, there were no significant differences between the answers of the distance learning and contact education groups. Both groups expressed that ethical education is useful because it helps them to achieve aims, to gather information, and to foster interest in research. The students also wrote that they would be able to use the information and skills gained during the course, in other contexts. The results show that all the students developed their knowledge of research and ethical ideas of research work during the study period. Consequently, their awareness of the importance of ethical principles increased. However, it is impossible to draw any long-run conclusions, due to the results being based on a small number of students, and the short length of the study period, which was only two credits (a credit being equivalent to 40 hours of work). To confirm whether there were real changes in their conceptions, further research is needed.