Investigating Relationships Between Epistemological Beliefs and Personal Beliefs in Biological Evolution

Abstract

AbstractThe present study examines the relationships between 12th grade students’ epistemological beliefs toward science and their personal beliefs in plant evolution, animal evolution and human evolution, before biological evolution instruction. Epistemological beliefs toward science, refer to students’ (and other individuals’) beliefs about the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing. Personal beliefs in biological evolution are considered to be personal truths or subjective views in biological evolution. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that there would be a relation between students’ epistemological beliefs toward science and their personal beliefs in biological evolution. Fifty-one (51) 12th grade students participated in the study. Participants’ epistemological beliefs and personal beliefs in biological evolution were assessed separately. A multiple regression analysis tested for relationships between students’ epistemological beliefs and their personal beliefs in biological evolution. Results showed that 12th grade students’ epistemological beliefs predicted their personal beliefs in plant evolution and animal evolution, but not in human evolution. In particular, students who held relatively sophisticated epistemological beliefs about the source of knowledge believed more in plant evolution and animal evolution than students with less sophisticated epistemological beliefs. Educational implications are discussed.