Engineering ethics education from the cultural and religious perspectives: a study among Malaysian undergraduates

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the influence of cultural and religious values in engineering ethics education, which has been largely adopted from Western ideologies among engineering undergraduates in Malaysia. Data were elicited from open-ended interviews involving a group of engineering students of a higher education institution in Malaysia. The findings revealed several themes showing that prevailing cultural and religious values have an important place in engineering ethics education by influencing ethical decision making among future engineers. The findings of this study would provide practitioners with considerable insight into the understanding of the immense impact of religious and cultural values on Malaysian engineering ethics education among engineering undergraduates. Conformity to such religious and cultural values was prevalent among engineering undergraduates, suggesting the need to factor in such values in the development of engineering ethics education model that helps strike a proper balance between local social ideologies and Western ethical principles.