Epistemological Beliefs Research Articles

Using PLS-SEM to Examine the Structure of First-year University Students’ Mathematics-related Beliefs

Many research indicated that more and more students choose to drop out of mathematics-related subjects during university study, especially in the western context. Besides the difficulty of mathematics content, first-year university students also face issues of the transition period. Identifying the impact of first-year university students' belief factors on their persistence in mathematics study needed further research.
 
 This study served as a pilot study; it structured the framework of first-year university students’ mathematics-related beliefs in relation to students’ persistence on the further mathematics study. A two-stage approach of using PLS-SEM to assessing the conceptual framework was introduced in detail. The relationships of dimensions of students’ epistemological beliefs about mathematics, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning strategies and perceptions about learning environment were assessed. This study provides the feasibility for future follow-up studies to examine mathematics-related beliefs and intentions to continue learning among university students on a larger scale.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Relationships between Epistemological Beliefs and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

Introduction. Prior research consistently provides evidence supporting potential relationships between epistemological beliefs and learning. The current study examines the relationship between epistemological beliefs, academic motivation, and self-regulated learning strategies among different ethnic groups of American adolescents. Method. This quantitative study utilized a correlational design to examine the relationship between epistemological beliefs and self-regulated learning strategies in adolescents attending middle school. A total of 364 middle school students (6th to 8th grade) from Southern California public middle schools participated in the study. A multiple group path model was employed to analyze the student data. Results. We found that certain knowledge, omniscient authority, and innate ability beliefs about the nature of knowledge predict positive relationships with self-efficacy and intrinsic value components of motivation. Quick learning and simple knowledge beliefs predict negative relationships with self-efficacy and intrinsic-value but positive relationship with test-anxiety. Similarly, in the aspect of self-regulatory learning strategies, those who believe in the absolute nature of knowledge and the authorities tend to use cognitive and self-regulatory learning strategies more often, while those who believe in the speed of knowledge acquisition tend to employ those strategies less. Discussion and Conclusion. Findings from this study inform educators of the need to advance adolescents’ epistemological beliefs for each subject (e.g., science, language arts) as a method to facilitate their motivation and self-regulated learning. We recommend that future research should include assessments of the participants’ cultural orientations or the domain specificity of the epistemological beliefs, which may vary the associations of the beliefs with self-regulated learning. Additionally, future research can further investigate other potential mediators of the relationship between epistemological beliefs and self-regulatory learning.

Cognitive and Sociocultural Perspectives: Approaches and Implications for Learning, Teaching and Assessment

The primary role of educators is to best serve and support students’ learning. To this end, the epistemological beliefs they hold are immensely influential, governing (both explicitly and implicitly) educators’ assumptions about how students learn, which determines the curriculum design and instructional methods utilized to support that learning. Over the years, two prominent and influential epistemological theories have developed – the cognitive perspective, which focuses on learners’ mental processes, and the sociocultural perspective, which focuses on learners’ participation in social practices within a particular context – with each providing their own unique contributions to the field of education. Using the example of the learning goal of students’ mastery of English for passing the TOEFL, the purpose of this paper is to explore how these two perspectives view knowing and learning, and the implications of this for motivating engagement and assessing learning. By drawing on and utilizing a synthesis of the cognitive and sociocultural perspectives, educators can align their learning outcomes with the most pedagogically-appropriate approach possible, to best support overall student learning and academic success.

Vulnerable Medical Student Ecosystems: Transdisciplinary Learning Sciences Interventions, Maximizing Student Learning and Promoting Mental Health

Medical students (MS), as a focus of investigation, are usually the last group that would be considered as suffering from mental health issues. However, the literature shows otherwise; MS suffer debilitating anxiety and depression which worsen with the progression of their studies. The literature also highlights the medical school curriculum as a significant cause of the elevated stress, anxiety, and depression levels within the MS population. This article explores the vulnerable nature of MS by focusing on the nature of the medical school’s hidden curriculum and culture, highlighting its impact on the entire medical education ecosystem and the MS. This article, then, investigates the three dominant epistemological belief frames in medical school which impact the vulnerable nature of MS. Finally, this article presents potential interventions, targeting the need for cultural change that may contribute to the creation of a more compassionate learning ecosystem to build the MS’ mental resilience in medical school and create a stronger medical workforce.

Moderating effects of teacher feedback on the associations among inquiry-based science practices and students’ science-related attitudes and beliefs

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the moderating effect of teacher feedback on the associations among inquiry-based science teaching and learning practices and students’ science-related attitudes and beliefs. The data set included 9, 841 15-year-old students from four Chinese provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong) who took part in the sixth cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant negative association between inquiry-based science practices and students’ epistemological beliefs about science, but the teacher feedback could significantly and positively moderate this association. The results also showed that inquiry-based science practices had significant positive relationships with students’ interest in and enjoyment of science, and science self-efficacy. Moreover, teacher feedback was significantly and positively associated with students’ epistemological beliefs, interest in and enjoyment of science throughout the inquiry process. This study sheds light on the optimal implementation of inquiry-based practices, especially towards improving students’ science-related attitudes and beliefs.

Understanding the influence of epistemological beliefs on the creative learning process

ABSTRACT The creative process is a process that includes many elements that provide solutions for problems that occur in everyday life. While the nature of creativity is changing, creative participants are also inevitably required to be problem solvers. They have to interpret and clarify problems by utilizing creative thinking. Therefore, problem-based research is an approach that provides a systematic set of guidelines for junior creative arts students to investigate, examine and execute learned concepts as well as solve problems practically. Although problem-based research is commonly applied, some junior creatives still do not engage with or even perform well with this approach. Their process of understanding and organizing information may be influenced by the inadequate epistemological beliefs of the junior creative arts students. This study aims to investigate the influence of inadequate epistemological beliefs on the learning processes of junior creative arts students. A pilot study was conducted for comparing the junior creative arts students’ performance in an authentic situation.

EXPLORING THE EFFECTS ON FIFTH GRADERS’ CONCEPT ACHIEVEMENT AND SCIENTIFIC EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS: APPLYING THE PREDICTION-OBSERVATION-EXPLANATION INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING MODEL IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

The inquiry-based learning model can facilitate students’ understanding of scientific concepts. Scientific epistemological beliefs (SEBs) are related to students’ beliefs about the nature of the process of knowledge in science education. However, whether the “prediction-observation-explanation” (POE) inquiry-based learning model can facilitate fifth graders’ concept achievement and SEBs in science education has not been extensively studied. This study selected the unit of Light Refraction to explore the effects of POE learning on fifth graders’ science concept achievement and SEBs. The Light Refraction Test and Scientific Epistemological Beliefs measurement were applied to the two groups prior to and following the experiment. The experimental group (N=86) participated in POE inquiry-based learning, whereas the control group (N=88) participated without POE inquiry-based learning. The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups, with the experimental group learners performing better than the control group in the concept achievement. In addition, the results showed better positive effects of POE on experimental group learners’ SEBs in the scales of Source and Certainty. Findings suggested that learners achieved better concept achievements and SEBs with the approach of POE inquiry-based learning, which pointed to certain implications for inquiry-based teaching, as well as in education of future science instructors. Keywords: inquiry-based learning model, light refraction, prediction-observation-explanation, science education, scientific epistemological beliefs

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Epistemolojik İnançlarına Göre Bilimin Doğasına Yönelik Görüşlerinin İncelenmesi

This study aims to examine the scientific epistemological beliefs of university students and to analyze their views on the nature of science on the basis of these beliefs. A total of 161 university students from a public university participated voluntarily in the study. The Scientific Epistemological Beliefs Survey and The Nature of Science View Scale (NOSVS) were used as the data collection tools. The data analysis revealed that 88.2% of the students hold a traditional conception of science and 11.8% of them have a non-traditional conception of science. Also, the analysis of their nature of science views showed that 49.7% of them have a contemporary, while 50.3% have a transitional view of the nature of science. In addition, it was found that factor and total scores of students' nature of science views have a statically significant difference, depending on their traditional and non-traditional conception of science. This finding can be interpreted as a significant relationship between scientific epistemological beliefs and views about the nature of science.

An Examination of the Relationships Between Pre-Service Teachers' Epistemological Beliefs and Types of Multiple Intelligence

In the literature, there are studies that separately tackled with how the epistemological beliefs and multiple domains of intelligence of the individuals have developed through their experiences. However, no study has investigated the relationship between them. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the pre-service science, elementary mathematics and classroom teachers' epistemological beliefs, their Multiple Intelligence (MI) domains, and the relationship between these. The sample of this descriptive survey study consists of 457 pre-service teachers (PSTs) in total. The data is collected through the ‘Multiple Intelligence Inventory’ and ‘Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire’. One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. Findings revealed statistically significant differences in the MI domains and epistemological belief dimensions (EBDs) in terms of the branches of PSTs. Also, there is a significant relationship between some MI domains and some EBDs in terms of PST’s branches. In addition to these, the findings imply that the cultures, structures, implicit and explicit rules, adaptation strategies and the content that are imposed by each branch influences this relationship between MI and EBDs.

Modeling the Relations Among Argumentativeness, Epistemological Beliefs and Self-Regulation Skills

This study was conducted to examine the structural relationships among pre-service science teachers' scientific epistemological beliefs, self-regulation skills, and their disposition towards participating in argumentation. For this purpose, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied in the study in which 229 pre-service science teachers participated. According to the results, development dimension of epistemological belief predicted argument approach positively, while source and certainty dimensions predicted argument avoidance negatively. All dimensions of epistemological beliefs, except for the certainty dimension, predicted self-regulation skills positively. When the relationship between self-regulation skills and argumentativeness was examined, it was revealed that pre-service science teachers' self-regulation skills such as asking questions and goal setting positively predicted participation in argumentation. According to the findings, it can be concluded that demonstrating the relationship between self-regulation and argumentativeness would make a significant contribution to the literature.

Saudi Arabian secondary school students’ views of the nature of science and epistemological beliefs: gendered differences

ABSTRACT Background Understanding students’ views of the nature of science (NOS) has become one of the most discussed topics of science education in Saudi Arabia. Insights therein could inform curricular inform, preservice, and inservice teacher education and the national discourse around science in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Purpose This study examined Saudi secondary school students’ views of the NOS and their epistemological beliefs by gender. Sample The convenience sample comprised 592 Saudi male (66%) and female (44%) grade 10–12 students from boys’ and girls’ schools (N = 8) in one major city in the KSA’s Eastern Province. Design and Methods A quantitative research design entailed the administration of two self-report instruments in winter 2018: Scientific Epistemological Views (SEVs) instrument (measured NOS) and the Epistemological Belief Inventory (EBI). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results Gendered profiles of Saudi secondary students’ views of the NOS and epistemological beliefs were developed. Female students’ NOS mean scores were significantly higher than males. Male students presented more naive epistemological beliefs than females. All respondents scored highest on the role of Social Negotiation when creating scientific knowledge revealing it as a key element of their scientific epistemological beliefs. All respondents scored highest on Omniscient Authority intimating they believed that scientific knowledge comes from authority. For all respondents, Cultural Impacts was a significant predictor of more sophisticated epistemological beliefs. Conclusions The NOS and epistemological beliefs of Saudi secondary students were affected by gendered differences, religious Islamic teachings, and culture. These insights are important, because Saudi students’ understandings of NOS affect their perceptions of science and how it can become part of their epistemological belief system. Religious beliefs, culture, and gender must be considered when designing Saudi science curricula and preservice and inservice teacher education.

Analyzing Pre-service Teachers’ Educational Philosophy Preferences, Curriculum Design Orientation, and Epistemological Beliefs with Structural Equation Model

The purpose of this study is to examine the partial mediating effect of epistemological beliefs in the correlation between preferences towards educational philosophy and the curriculum design approach of pre-service teachers. For this purpose, pre-service teachers’ educational philosophy preferences, curriculum design orientation, and epistemological beliefs have been analyzed, and a model has been developed. Three different instruments have been implemented to randomly chosen 568 pre-service teachers in several departments in Necatibey Faculty of Education of Balıkesir University in Turkey. In the analyzing process, first, a measurement model has been developed, and compatibility of the model with real data has tested, second, Pearson correlation coefficients have calculated, and the levels have defined, third, t values have calculated for the direct effect between preference for educational philosophies and curriculum design orientation preference, and at last, the epistemological beliefs have added to the model, and the moderating role on them has calculated. Based on findings, it can be concluded that from the pre-service teachers perspective; there is a positive correlation between widely accepted educational philosophies, and curriculum design orientations and there is a positive correlation between epistemological beliefs in effort and contemporary educational philosophies. In line with that, there is a positive correlation between epistemological belief in effort, and student-oriented design and problem-oriented design. Besides educational philosophy preferences (P=.14) and epistemological beliefs (P=.18) have a separate effect on curriculum design orientation, and epistemological beliefs (CIs = - .029 ~ .588) do not have a mediating role on the effect of educational philosophy preferences.

Investigating the Relationship between Religious Beliefs, Epistemological Beliefs, and Moral Justice with Academic Performance the Mediating Role of Students' Social Adaptation

Investigating the Relationship between Religious Beliefs, Epistemological Beliefs, and Moral Justice with Academic Performance the Mediating Role of Students' Social Adaptation

EXPLORING TEACHERS EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AS PREDICTORS OF STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

This study was undertaken to ascertain the epistemological beliefs and instructional practices of English teachers and their relationship to the academic achievement of students in all secondary schools of Quality Learning Circle I (QuaLCi I), in the municipalities of Dumingag, Mahayag, and Josefina, Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines, during the School Year 2018-2019. It made use of the descriptive correlational research design with the questionnaire-checklist as primary data gathering tool. The findings of the study clearly revealed that English teachers possessed fair personal views about the nature of knowledge and learning. They also employed varied instructional practices throughout most lessons in the entire unit or topic. Majority of the high school students had initially mastered basic competencies in the English subject. The teachers’ epistemological beliefs were positively correlated with their instructional practices. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the teachers’ epistemological beliefs and instructional practices and their students’ academic achievement.

The contribution of personal epistemological beliefs to uptake in in-service professional development: a case-study

ABSTRACT Formal in-service professional development programmes may help novice teachers or those new to a school adapt to targeted teaching approaches in their new workplace. However, the extent to which their practice changes in response to in-service learning may depend on prior beliefs. This longitudinal case study explored in-depth the personal epistemological beliefs of four pre-sessional English language teachers, international and national, in an English-medium university context in Turkey during a year-long, formal in-service teacher education course, and for 6 months after the course. It investigated changes in classroom practice and beliefs about knowledge and knowing, teaching and learning, and professional learning as a result of in-service learning. Interviews, classroom observations and reflective journals underpinned a hermeneutic analysis which compared informants’ beliefs and classroom practice over time using an existing theoretical model. Underlying patterns of change in epistemological beliefs show belief type, depth, and sophistication, as well as context, as major factors in the uptake and sustainability of targeted teaching approaches in this context. In-service educators’ knowledge of a teacher’s epistemological beliefs profile can lead to more effective and sustainable uptake in formal in-service professional learning through differentiated, practice-based interventions.

Investigation of the preservice teachers science-pseudoscience distinction and epistemological beliefs

This study aims to investigate preservice teachers’ science-pseudoscience distinctions, epistemological beliefs, and to explore the relationship between these two parameters. To this end, a correlational research design has been employed. The study was conducted with the participation of 182 preservice science and preschool teachers, with the data being collected through the Science-Pseudoscience Distinction Scale and Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire using descriptive statistics, multiple regression analyses, and correlation analyses. The results reveal the participants to have sophisticated epistemological beliefs and the ability to distinguish between science and pseudoscience, as well as a positive medium-level correlation between these two variables. Moreover, when comparing results through the variables of gender, department, and whether or not teachers follow scientific publications or broadcasts, these variables have been found to not predict participants’ levels of science-pseudoscience distinction or epistemological beliefs. The preservice teachers’ levels of science-pseudoscience distinction were found to vary significantly only based on grade level and favoring of senior preservice teachers. In more specific analyses, the preservice science teachers’ epistemological beliefs were found to be more developed than preservice preschool teachers, with epistemological beliefs to be more developed as grade level increases. In light of these findings, lessons are recommended to be enhanced with activities designed to improve epistemological beliefs and the ability to distinguish between science and pseudoscience.

Epistemological beliefs and conceptions about language teaching and learning: a study of secondary school non-native learners and teachers of Mandarin Chinese in Zambia

In recent years, the demand for the acquisition of Mandarin Chinese language is in full swing globally based on the recognition of the economic and social importance of China. As a proactive response, the Ministry of General Education in Zambia included Mandarin Chinese as a second additional language in the secondary school Curriculum. However, there is a lack of exploring the epistemological beliefs and conceptions about Mandarin Chinese language teaching and learning in Zambia. A mixed research design is employed to study the epistemological beliefs and conceptions about Mandarin Chinese language teaching and learning in Zambia. A belief questionnaire was administered to 100 secondary school students learning Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL). Semi-structured interviews were adopted to seek deep insights from 10 secondary school teachers on their epistemological beliefs and conceptions about Chinese language teaching and learning. The result shows that the students’ epistemological beliefs about the introduction of Mandarin Chinese language learning in secondary schools is key to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the People’s Republic of China and Zambia. Also, the study results indicate that most of the students perceive learning Mandarin Chinese language as a window of opportunity for a good job and learning a new language. Nevertheless, the study results show that some teachers perceived the introduction of Mandarin Chinese language as a new form of Neo-colonization. This paper concludes that it’s fundamental for teachers in secondary schools in Zambia to review their epistemological beliefs and conceptions about Mandarin Chinese language teaching and learning and try to incorporate a SAL orientation using both literacy artifacts and cultural artifacts in teaching Mandarin Chinese language in secondary schools.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS’ EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS AND PUPIL CONTROL IDEOLOGY

This study aims to analyze the relationship between teachers’ epistemological beliefs and pupil control ideology. It was designed using a correlational survey model. The sample in this study consisted of 228 teachers. The Epistemological Beliefs Scale and the Pupil Control Ideology Scale were used during the data collection process. The data gathered from this study was analyzed using both Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Study findings revealed that there is a moderate, positive relationship between the dimensions of epistemological beliefs termed the Belief that Learning is Tied to Talent (BLTT) and the Belief that There is one Right Way to Learn (BRWL) and pupil control ideology. Findings also indicated that the BLTT and BRWL dimensions significantly predict pupil control ideology. Based on these findings, epistemological beliefs were found to account for 28% of the total variance in relation to pupil control ideology. Some recommendations have been put forth in accordance with these findings.

Gifted Students’ Beliefs about Knowledge and Learning

Epistemological beliefs can be defined shortly as beliefs about the source, certainty, organization of knowledge, and beliefs on ability and speed of learning. Word association tests (WAT) are practical alternative assessment and evaluation tools that can reveal students' thoughts on different concepts. In this regard, this research aims to investigate the gifted students' beliefs about "knowledge" and "learning" concepts by using WAT. Phenomenology design was utilized in the research. The study was carried out with 118 gifted students studying at Science and Art Center in Turkey's Central East Anatolia Region in the 2018-2019 academic year. The word association test was used as a data collection tool. In this context, participants were given the concepts "knowledge" and "learning" and asked to write their associations about these concepts. They were then asked to make a sentence about each concept. Deductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. The research findings revealed that most students have sophisticated epistemological beliefs in specific knowledge, simple knowledge, source of knowledge, and quick learning dimensions. However, it has been found that the number of students in the sophisticated and naive categories of innate ability dimension is approximately equal.

An Investigation of the Relation between Pre-service EFL Teachers’ Epistemological Cognition and Teaching Approaches

This study was undertaken to investigate the relation between pre-service EFL teachers’ epistemological beliefs and their approaches to teaching. The participants are 105 pre-service EFL teachers, selected based on a random sampling method. To measure pre-service EFL teachers’ epistemological beliefs, The Epistemological Beliefs Survey, developed by Chan and Eliott (2004), was used. This survey conceptualizes epistemological beliefs under four dimensions; namely “innate/fixed ability, learning effort/process, authority/expert knowledge, and certainty knowledge.” To measure, pre-service EFL teachers’ approaches to teaching, the Approaches to Teaching Inventory, developed by Trigwell, Prosser, and Ginns (2005), was utilized. This tool has three major subdimensions; “transmission-based, student-teacher interaction, and student focus.” Descriptive and correlational statistical analyses were used. The results indicated that pre-service EFL teachers moderately agree with the sub-dimensions of epistemological beliefs and the most important sub-dimension that predict teaching approaches is the effort dimension of epistemological beliefs.