A Framework for STEM Ethics Education in South Africa: Holding Values Paramount

This chapter discusses STEM ethics education in South African higher education. This discussion is not a systematic review of STEM ethics education in South Africa but rather an orientation of ethics education in STEM. This orientation confirms global views and identifies what ethical considerations are relevant to South Africa. The focus is on agricultural sciences, engineering and applied technologies, health sciences, and mathematics as representative of STEM disciplines. These disciplines are discussed in the context of the South African university typology, qualifications framework, learning outcomes, and national imperatives linked to higher education. South African authors’ views and opinions on STEM ethics education are presented to contextualize the salient perspectives offered in this chapter. A literature search of South African voices in support of ethics education in STEM education confirms the importance and relevance thereof. Principles such as human dignity, autonomy, informed consent, respect for vulnerable persons, confidentiality, the absence of harm, maximum benefit, justice, and social responsibility should be evident in STEM ethics education. Based on these discussions and observations, a framework with six domains is presented for STEM ethics education.