Developing Active Role of Science Museum in Educating on Ethical Issues on Science and Technology:Four Case Studies

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine a) each of the selected science museums for its role in educating on ethical issues in science and technology, b) what are the most frequently dealt ethical themes in science and technology; c) how were those themes presented (via exhibition, play, panel, movies, etc); and d) identify common characteristics in the selected science museums' presentations of ethical issues. The results indicated that selected museums present ethical issues related to technology development, mainly on biotechnology and environmental issues. The type of presentations dealing with ethical issues most frequently were exhibitions, panels and simulations, followed by demonstrations and lectures. All of the selected museums had common characteristics for actively taking an educational role in ethical issues in science. The study suggests that efforts to communicate the ethical issues in various areas should be reinforced to educate students and the public, and that it may be the museum's role to expose ethical aspects of technology related to human rights, dignity, health and development issues from the early stage of its development.