From Awareness to Application: Ethical Understanding Among Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Students

The rapid advancement of modern science and technology has intensified the need for ethical awareness and responsible decision-making among future professionals. While undergraduate students are often exposed to foundational ethical concepts, the depth of their understanding and their ability to critically evaluate ethical challenges remain unclear.This study presents an exploratory analysis of undergraduate students’ awareness, perceptions, and interpretative understanding of ethical issues in modern science. A structured online survey was conducted with 50 participants from diverse academic backgrounds, examining not only awareness levels but also the perceived adequacy of existing ethical frameworks and the relationship between ethical understanding and trust in scientific practices.The findings indicate that while a majority of students demonstrate baseline awareness of ethical issues, significant uncertainty persists regarding the effectiveness and applicability of current ethical frameworks. Notably, the results reveal a gap between ethical awareness and deeper critical engagement, particularly in relation to emerging domains such as data privacy and technological accountability.This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the distinction between awareness and applied ethical understanding among undergraduate students. It underscores the need for more structured, application-oriented ethics education that moves beyond theoretical exposure to practical engagement with real-world ethical dilemmas. As a preliminary investigation, the study provides a foundation for future research on strengthening ethical competencies in scientific education.This study is novel in distinguishing between ethical awareness and applied ethical understanding among undergraduate students, highlighting a critical gap that is often overlooked in existing research.