BSED Biology students’ awareness and orient...

BSED Biology students’ awareness and orientation towards the four Bioethical Principles- basis for curriculum inclusion

Author Name : Araneta, Bryan Yves G.

Abstract

Twenty-five (25) BSED Biology students of Iloilo State College of Fisheries Main Campus were asked to decide over 5
Bioethical Issues to be able to assess their orientation towards the Four Bioethical Principles (Beauchamp and Childress,
1983). Friedman’s Two-Way Analysis of Variance by Ranks showed that the overall respondents’ score towards each of
the four principles were the same (p=0.111) at 0.05 level of significance. This verified the universality of the Four Bioethical
Principles. The same result came up even after data were analyzed using year level as a factor. Independent samples
Kruskal-Wallis Test at 0.05 level of significance showed that the distribution of autonomy (p=0.246), malificence (p=0.191),
beneficence (p=0.225), and justice (p=0.368) are statistically the same across the 3 year-levels. On the other hand, students’
awareness of Bioethics was also assessed to be able to seek baseline information for possible inclusion in the BS Secondary
Education Curriculum. Awareness of Bioethics and relevant issues under it differ among the 3 year-levels after a series of
Pearson’s Chi Square Analysis at 0.05 level of significance. It is imperative that future science teachers should be
knowledgeable of a variety of bioethical issues and trained with dealing with the intricacies of bioethical decision-making.
Thus, Bioethics should be a standard General Education Course, at least in the BSED Biology Curriculum.
Keywords: bioethics, autonomy, malificence, beneficence, justice