The Ethics and Moral Values in Digital Education: A Cluster-Based Exploration of Student Perspectives

Abstract

As digital education continues to expand, ethical concerns such as data privacy, academic integrity, accessibility, ethical awareness, and moral values have become increasingly important. This study aims to examine students' perceptions of these ethical dimensions in digital learning environments using a quantitative research design with a cross-sectional survey methodology. Data were collected from 193 students at two educational institutions in Kazakhstan. An online survey, administered via Google Forms, allowed students to participate voluntarily and anonymously. Using cluster analysis with the Hartigan-Wong k-means algorithm, three distinct student groups were identified based on their ethical awareness and moral values. Cluster 1 showed moderate-to-high agreement with ethical principles, Cluster 2 showed the lowest ethical awareness, particularly regarding data privacy and accessibility, and Cluster 3 showed the highest ethical agreement, reflecting strong institutional support and digital literacy. The study identifies data privacy and accessibility as the most pressing concerns, with students expressing unease about personal data management and the inclusivity of digital learning platforms. Findings reveal significant differences in ethical preparedness among students, indicating that institutional policies, digital literacy levels, and socio-economic factors play a key role in shaping ethical perspectives. The study recommends targeted ethics training, improved accessibility policies, and enhanced data protection measures to foster a more equitable and ethically aware digital learning environment.