Looking at Filipino Pre-service Teachers’ Value for Education through Epistemological Beliefs about Learning and Asian Values

Abstract

The present study investigated the contribution of epistemological beliefs about learning and Asian values on pre-service teachers’ value for education. The relationship of epistemological beliefs and valuing education is based on Schwartz and Bilsky’s (1987; 1990) theory of human values. The participants were 362 pre-service teachers from different universities in Manila, Philippines. It was found in a standard regression analysis that both complexity and structured belief about learning significantly predicted valuing one’s education. Higher expectation for achievement, filial piety, and emotional restraint were also significant. A hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the order of contribution of Asian values (filial piety, hierarchical family structure, collectivism, emotional restraint, perseverance and hard work, higher expectation for achievement, respect for authority, and respect for education) on valuing education. The results showed that the order of Asian values based on the theory of Schwartz and Bardi (2001) significantly explained the variation on valuing education (Adjusted R 2 =.35). The contribution of each Asian value increased the variation on valuing education but it remained stable with the inclusion of respect for education and respect for authority.