Innovative education tools for developing ethical skills in university science lessons. The case of the moral cross dilemma

Abstract

This article presents the feasibility of teaching generic competences (such as those related to moral reasoning aspects) through Science lessons at university level. The authors have implemented a new instrument called “Moral Cross Dilemma” which involves the use of argumentation and moral reasoning within the students of Primary Education Degree (prospective primary teachers). This tool seems to be an effective pedagogical resource in Higher Education Levels. It is a step forward from the well-known dilemma, a consolidated strategy for the development of ethical competences based on argumentative and discursive methodologies. This paper is focused on the description of this technique and applies it for the first time on experimental data.Moral Cross Dilemma is applicable to environmental conflicts and can be used as a discursive technique for improving the personal ethic level. This work shows empirical evidences from the preliminary implementation within university students. The experience was carried out on a 47-student sample. They were prospective teachers learning Natural Sciences. The main results revealed no difference and were observed between self-perceived and peer evaluation of the moral status, although the environmental-friendly argumentation position clearly set out higher scoring in the moral reasoning level.