Scientific Epistemological Research Articles

Exploring the Structural Relationships between High School Students’ Scientific Epistemological Views and their Utilization of Information Commitments toward Online Science Information

The main purpose of this study was to examine the structural relationships between scientific epistemological views (SEVs) and information commitments (ICs) of high school students in Taiwan. Data were collected from 486 Taiwanese high school students via two self‐reporting instruments: one was the SEV questionnaire, including five scales for representing students’ views toward scientific knowledge; and the other was the ICs survey, involving six scales for exploring their evaluative standards and searching strategies of online science information. Structural equation modelling analysis was used to examine the relationships between the aspects of SEVs and ICs. The results of the measurement model confirmed that both the SEVs and ICs instruments had highly satisfactory validity and reliability. The structural equation modelling analysis further indicated that students’ SEVs guided their evaluative standards and searching strategy when dealing with Web‐based science information. For example, students who viewed scientific knowledge as more changeable and tentative significantly tended to adopt a more sophisticated evaluative standard, such as carefully inspecting the content of web sites for judging the usefulness. The findings in general suggested that students with more constructivist‐oriented SEVs might develop more advanced standards and searching strategy toward online scientific information to derive great benefit from Web‐based environments. Consequently, the role of SEVs should be highlighted as increasingly metacognitive engagement with online science information.

Differences in the Scientific Epistemological Views of Undergraduate Students

The purpose of this study was to examine whether science and non‐science major students have different scientific epistemological views (SEVs). A multidimensional instrument previously developed by the authors was used to assess differences in college students’ SEV of various aspects. A total of 220 freshmen (42% science and 58% non‐science majors) attending two public universities participated in this investigation. Results indicated that the science majors have less sophisticated beliefs in the theory‐laden and cultural‐dependent aspects of science than non‐science majors. Analysis of variance results further revealed significant differences in SEV dimensions among the three major fields: non‐science, pure science, and science education. Science education students gained the lowest scores on the entire scale among the groups. Findings of this study imply that science major (including science education) students might be involved longer in such an epistemic environment that described scientific knowledge as objective and universal. It is also possible that beliefs about certainty and objectivity lead these students to select science as their major field. Implications for future research and science teacher education are discussed.

A conceptual model of relationships among constructivist learning environment perceptions, epistemological beliefs, and learning approaches

This study proposed a conceptual model of relationships among constructivist learning environment perception variables (Personal Relevance, Uncertainty, Critical Voice, Shared Control, and Student Negotiation), scientific epistemological belief variables (fixed and tentative), and learning approach. It was proposed that learning environment perceptions predict learning approach directly and indirectly through scientific epistemological beliefs. Constructivist Learning Environment Survey, Scientific Epistemological Beliefs, and Learning Approach Questionnaire were administered to 1152 Turkish eight grade elementary school students to measure constructivist learning environment perceptions, scientific epistemological beliefs, and learning approach, respectively. Path analysis supported the model in general, although not all proposed paths were significant. All constructivist learning environment perception variables were found to predict learning approach directly and indirectly through tentative beliefs. The relationship between fixed beliefs and learning approach was not significant. Fixed beliefs were significantly related only with personal relevance variable.

The development of science activities via on-line peer assessment: the role of scientific epistemological views

This study implemented an online peer assessment learning module to help 36 college students with the major of pre-school education to develop science activities for future instruction. Each student was asked to submit a science activity project for pre-school children, and then experienced three rounds of peer assessment. The effects of the online peer assessment module on student learning were examined, and the role of Scientific Epistemological Views (SEVs) in the learning process was carefully investigated. This study found that student peers displayed valid scoring that was consistent with an expert’s marks. Through the online peer assessment, the students could enhance the design of science activities for future instruction; for instance, the science activities became more creative, science-embedded, feasible and more suitable for the developmental stage of pre-school children. More importantly, students with more sophisticated (constructivist-oriented) SEVs tended to progress significantly more for designing science activities with more fun, higher creativity and greater relevancy to scientific knowledge, implying that learners with constructivist-oriented SEVs might benefit more from the online peer assessment learning process. These students also tended to offer more feedback to their peers, and much of the peer feedback provided by these students was categorized as guiding or helping peers to carefully appraise and plan their science activity projects. This study finally suggested that an appropriate understanding regarding the constructivist epistemology may be a prerequisite for utilizing peer assessment learning activities in science education.

Knowledge is knowledge is knowledge? The relationship between personal and scientific epistemologies

Abstract: In this paper, we explore cross‐domain versus domain‐specific scientific epistemological understanding. Research about relationships between such understandings shows mixed results. The ambiguities may result from the instruments used. Unlike most studies, we combined instruments from the personal‐ and science‐epistemology research traditions. Students in Grades 6 to 9 in a science‐centred school completed adaptations of the Epistemological Thinking Assessment (ETA) (Kuhn, Cheney, & Weinstock, 2000) and the Views of Science‐Technology‐Society (VOSTS) (Aikenhead & Ryan, 1992) instruments. Regular‐school students in Grades 7 and 9 also completed the ETA. Developmental patterns on the ETA emerged as expected in both schools. However, the science‐centred students’ views of knowledge in the social and physical domains seem more differentiated and sophisticated. Their performance on the VOSTS tended toward higher scores, although lower than expected. There was no significant relationship between perfo...

Content Analysis of Taiwanese 14 year olds’ Information Processing Operations shown in Cognitive Structures Following Physics Instruction, with Relations to Science Attainment and Scientific Epistemological Beliefs

This study examined 48 Taiwanese 14 year olds' cognitive structures derived from the instruction of basic atomic physics. Content analyses of these students' information processing operations displayed in cognitive structures revealed that even academically above‐average students, in general, used relatively lower‐level modes of knowledge construction, focusing on reciting or describing specific factual knowledge in physics. Students spent more retrieval time when phrasing an idea in a higher‐order cognitive operation, such as in the mode of generalization or conditional inference. Moreover, higher achievers tended to have a richer store of knowledge frameworks, as well as to employ a more inclusive way and a variety of cognitive reasoning manners in structuring their ideas. Students holding scientific epistemological beliefs more orientated to constructivist views of science tended to use more conditional inferential reasoning than those having empiricist‐aligned views of science.

The Edge of Chaos: Structural Conspiracy and Epistemology in The X-Files

This essay argues for the latter interpretation by broadening the focus of investigation to include ways in which The X-Files situates itself in the landscape of scientific culture in the late twentieth century–especially with regard to the field called complex system dynamics, known more popularly as chaos theory. The show uses and represents concepts associated with dynamic systems theory that allow it to explore issues connected to the blurring and violation of epistemological boundaries shared between the hard sciences and the community of believers in paranormal phenomena. Chaotic dynamics informs the show's attempt to represent the relationship between rational skepticism and intuitive belief in contemporary scientific epistemology. The X-Files focuses on the paracultural discursive arena that comprises discourse between skeptics and believers regarding paranormal phenomena to represent and comment on the complex, recursive nature of scientific epistemological boundaries in the postmodern cultural milieu. It interrogates epistemological categories inherited from classical science and the new physics–categories circulated in the feedback loop connecting the paraculture, science, popular film, and television. Through this interrogation, The X-Files raises questions about the meaningfulness of those categories in ways that are not only terrifying but that also point to a deeper reflexivity and more complex appreciation of the search for meaning than usually represented in science fiction, horror, and the other genres incorporated into the show's narrative.