Abstract
Epistemological beliefs affect student motivation and learning. They have been found to play a significant role in the acquisition of the capacity to control and direct one’s cognitive processing (Lindner, 1993). In particular, science epistemological belief is considered an important factor in science achievement and positive science attitudes among students (Cobern, 1991). Based on the premise above, the purpose of this study was (1) to examine the science epistemological beliefs of Form Four students in Malaysia, and (2) to find out if there was a significant difference in the science achievement of students with high science epistemological beliefs and those with low belief when learning science using different Web-based modules. The sample comprised 169 students from ten schools in the state of Perak. The instrument used in this study was the “Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale” developed by Rubba (1977). Six factors of the science epistemological beliefs, that is amoral, creative, developmental, parsimonious, testable and unified, were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that the highest ranked factor was testable, followed by unified, creative, developmental and amoral. The lowest ranked factor was parsimonious. Analysis of t-tests for independent means showed that the science achievement of students with high science epistemological beliefs who followed the constructivist approach was significantly higher than those who followed the direct instruction approach. However, there was no significant difference between the science achievement of students with low science epistemological beliefs who followed the constructivist approach and those who followed the direct instruction approach. 2-way ANOVA analysis showed that the interaction effect between type of approach for web-based learning and science epistemological beliefs was significant, suggesting that the effect of the type of web-based learning approach is dependent on the science epistemological beliefs held by the students.
Highlights
What makes some students better achievers in science than others? What is the effect of learning approach on students’ science achievement? The body of literature available indicates that the answer to that question is neither simple nor fixed
Schommer-Aikins, Mau, Brookhart and Hutter (2000) emphasized that while there appears to be a debate over the inclusion of learning beliefs as part of personal epistemology, both beliefs about learning and beliefs about knowledge seem to have a critical impact on student learning
Science epistemological beliefs was categorised into two groups that is high science epistemological beliefs and low science epistemological beliefs
Summary
What makes some students better achievers in science than others? What is the effect of learning approach on students’ science achievement? The body of literature available indicates that the answer to that question is neither simple nor fixed. What is the effect of learning approach on students’ science achievement? Throughout the years where science education has developed and progressed in different countries, numerous factors have been researched and the findings are that they are varied and some are inter-related. One of the areas science educators have increasingly been concerned about, and that has developed significantly over the past three decades, is the epistemological beliefs held by learners and how they affect learning. Definition of Epistemological Belief Literature gives a varied definition of personal epistemological beliefs, depending on the type of study conducted. Schreiber (2004) noted that research on students’ epistemological beliefs has grown significantly together with the development of models of epistemological beliefs. While some studies focus on beliefs about knowing and learning, others focus on the nature of knowledge. According to Pajares (1992), personal beliefs are constructed from experience and used to interpret new experiences and information, and to guide subsequent action
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