Epistemological development and academic performance among secondary students.

This is an investigation of the development of secondary students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning, or epistemological beliefs, and the influence that these beliefs have on academic performance. An epistemological questionnaire that assesses students' beliefs about simple knowledge, certain knowledge, quick learning, and fixed ability to learn was modified and administered to more than 1,000 high school students. Factor analysis of students' responses replicated the factor structure found in previous research. Differences in epistemological beliefs among students across the high school years and between genders were examined. Belief in simple knowledge, certain knowledge, and quick learning decreased from freshman to senior year. Girls were less likely to believe in quick learning and fixed ability. Students' GPA was regressed on epistemological factors. The less students believed in quick learning, the higher the GPA they earned. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of epistemological beliefs and learned helplessness in secondary school students' learning science concepts from text.

This study examined the relationship between two variable sets: (a) epistemological beliefs (quick learning, simple knowledge, certain knowledge, and innate ability) and learned helplessness and (b) conceptual understanding and application reasoning in conceptual change learning (CCL). Hypothetical dimensions underlying the Epistemological Belief Questionnaire and effects of different kinds of prior knowledge on CCL were explored with 212 students in Grades 9–12 in 13 science classes at a rural public high school in Georgia. Exploratory factor analyses revealed 3 factors underlying epistemological beliefs: Quick Learning, Simple-Certain Knowledge, and Innate Ability. Canonical correlation analyses show that beliefs about Simple-Certain Knowledge contribute the most to CCL, whereas beliefs about Innate Ability contribute the least. Beliefs about Simple-Certain Knowledge and Quick Learning are important factors in CCL. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension.

Two questions were addressed: "What are students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge?" and "How do these beliefs affect comprehension?" In Experiment 1, an epistemological questionnaire was administered to undergraduates. Factor analysis of the questionnaire resulted in 4 factors reflecting degrees of belief in innate ability, simple knowledge, quick learning, and certain knowledge. In Experiment 2, students read a passage about either the social sciences or the physical sciences, in which the concluding paragraph was removed. Then they related their confidence in understanding the passage, wrote a conclusion, and completed a mastery test. Belief in quick learning predicted oversimplified conclusions, poor performance on the mastery test, and overconfidence in test performance. Belief in certain knowledge predicted inappropriately absolute conclusions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Epistemological beliefs and mathematical text comprehension: Believing it is simple does not make it so.

Examines epistemological belief assessment and the relationship between belief in simple knowledge and mathematical text comprehension. Exp 1, an epistemological questionnaire developed earlier (M. Schommer, 1990) was administered and factor analyzed. The factor structure was replicated, measuring beliefs in externally controlled learning, simple knowledge, quick learning, and certain knowledge. In Exp 2, Ss were instructed to read either to determine the comprehensibility of passage information or to teach passage information. Ss read a statistical passage, assessed their understanding, and completed a mastery test and study strategy inventory. Regression analyses indicated that the less Ss believed in simple knowledge, the better they performed on the mastery test and the more accurately they assessed their comprehension. A path model indicates that study strategies may mediate epistemological effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are epistemological beliefs similar across domains?

Investigators of students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning, or epistemological beliefs, have generally assumed that epistemological beliefs are domain independent (i.e., they generalize across domains). The purpose of this research was to test this assumption. College students completed an epistemological questionnaire with a specific domain in mind (either social sciences or mathematics), read a passage (either social sciences or mathematics), answered a passage test, and completed another epistemological questionnaire with the alternative domain in mind. Results support the idea that individuals' epistemological beliefs tend to be domain independent. Mathematical epistemological factors correlated with the corresponding social science epistemological factors. Epistemological beliefs in both domains predicted passage comprehension similarly, and most students showed a consistent level of epistemological sophistication across domains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' knowledge of students' knowledge in mathematics problem solving: Correlational and case analyses.

This study examined the relationship of teachers' knowledge of students' knowledge to teachers' mathematics instruction and to students' mathematics problem solving. First-grade teachers (N?=?20) participated in a 4-week workshop in which they were given access to research-based knowledge on children's mathematics learning. Teachers were observed for 16 days throughout the school year. In May, teachers completed interviews and questionnaires about their knowledge and beliefs; their students completed achievement tests. Correlational analyses showed significant positive relationships between teachers' knowledge of students' knowledge and students' mathematics problem-solving achievement. Teachers with more knowledge of their students questioned students about problem-solving processes and listened to their responses. Teachers with less knowledge of their students explained problem-solving processes to students or observed students' solutions. Case analyses of knowledge and behavior of the most effective teacher and the least effective teacher supported these conclusions and showed important differences in how these teachers thought about and used students' knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of preexisiting beliefs, epistemological beliefs, and need for cognition on interpretation of controversial issues.

This study examined the influence of people's beliefs about the certainty of knowledge, the strength of their beliefs about a controversial issue, and their tendency to enjoy effortful thinking on their interpretation of controversial information. Ninety-six undergraduates completed an epistemological beliefs questionnaire (M. Schommer; see record 1991-05940-001), the Need for Cognition Scale (J. T. Cacioppo, R. E. Petty, & C. F. Kao; see record 1984-30417-001), and indicated the degree to which they believed that HIV causes AIDS. They then read a text that presented two conflicting views regarding the HIV–AIDS relationship and wrote a concluding paragraph for the text. Regression analyses revealed that the less students believed in certain knowledge, the less extreme their initial beliefs, and the higher their need for cognition, the more likely they were to write conclusions that reflected the inconclusive nature of the mixed evidence they read. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Change in teacher efficacy and student self- and task-related beliefs in mathematics during the transition to junior high school.

In a longitudinal study of 1,329 students and the teachers they had for mathematics before and after the transition to junior high school, the relation between students' beliefs in mathematics and their teachers' sense of efficacy is examined. Using repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), we found that the rate of change within the school year in students' expectancies, perceived performance, and perceived task difficulty in math differed at Year 1 and 2, depending on teacher efficacy before and after the transition. Students who moved from high- to low-efficacy math teachers during the transition ended the junior high year with the lowest expectancies and perceived performance (even lower than students who had low efficacy teachers both years) and the highest perceptions of task difficulty. The differences in pre- and posttransition teachers' views of their efficacy had a stronger relationship to low-achieving than to high-achieving students' beliefs in mathematics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Breast cancer screening knowledge and skills of students upon entering and exiting a medical school

PURPOSE: To assess needs for breast cancer screening education by comparing medical students' training and knowledge of breast cancer screening upon their entry to and exit from medical school. METHOD: Seventy-seven medical students at one medical school completed questionnaires as first-year students (in 1992) and again as fourth-year students (in 1996) that assessed their breast cancer screening knowledge. The fourth-year questionnaire included additional questions about the students' clinical training in breast cancer screening skills and their perceptions of needs for further training. RESULTS: Although the students performed significantly better on the knowledge-based questions in their fourth year than they did in their first year, considerable room for improvement remained. The students reported learning the most from surgery rotations and more from standardized patients than from faculty. Women medical students performed significantly more clinical breast examinations than did men students. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the medical students reported needing additional training in clinical breast examination. More curricular time devoted to education about breast cancer screening is needed.     

Epistemological beliefs' contributions to study strategies of Asian Americans and European Americans.

Given the increasingly culturally diverse composition of students in American classrooms, understanding the nature of cultural differences is necessary to generate effective instructional interventions. This study examines the individual differences in epistemological beliefs, ways of knowing, study strategies, and academic performance among different cultural groups. These cultural groups include European Americans (Americans of European ancestry) and first and successive generations of Asian Americans. College junior and senior business majors completed instruments assessing epistemological beliefs, ways of knowing, and study strategies. Multivariate analyses of variances revealed significant differences among cultural groups in 5 study strategies (low anxiety, selecting main ideas, testing strategies, high motivation, and information processing), course grades, and reading comprehension. Regression analyses revealed that beliefs about learning speed, knowledge construction, characteristics of successful students, and separate knowing contributed to cultural differences. This study highlights the need to avoid strong stereotyping and to consider individual differences in the classroom. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in efficacy beliefs in mathematics across the transition to middle school: Examining the effects of perceived teacher and parent goal emphases.

This study examined the effects of change in teacher goal emphases on students' efficacy beliefs in mathematics across the transition to middle school. The sample (N = 929) included primarily White (65%) and Black (27%) students, and approximately one third received free or reduced-fee lunch. Analyses grouped children by cross-classification of teachers (N = 53 elementary and N = 34 middle school teachers). On average, students' efficacy beliefs remained stable and relatively high across the transition. Compared with their elementary school teacher, children reported declines in both perceived teacher mastery and performance goal emphases in middle school. A cross-classified hierarchical linear model was used to estimate the effects of perceived teacher and parent goal emphases during 6th and 7th grades on changes in students' efficacy beliefs. An increase in self-efficacy beliefs from elementary to middle school was predicted by an increase in group-level perceptions of teachers' mastery goal emphasis, even after controlling for parents' goal emphases. These findings underscore the important role that both teachers' and parents' goal emphases play as children develop a sense of efficacy in mathematics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A social-cognitive-behavioral model of academic predictors of adolescents' life satisfaction.

The current study provided a comprehensive examination of factors related to school that are implicated in students' life satisfaction. A theoretical model is put forth that hypothesizes that behavior experiences (classroom conduct, school grades) and social experiences (perceived school climate) at school influence students' cognitions relative to their global academic beliefs and attitudes toward their current school. These cognitive contexts of schooling are hypothesized to constitute students' judgments of their satisfaction with school, an important predictor of global life satisfaction. Self-report measures assessing adolescents' perceptions of these constructs were administered to a pilot sample of 321 high school students in a southeastern city. Simultaneous regression and correlational analyses clarified which aspects of school climate and other school-related factors were significantly associated with students' life satisfaction. Results of a revised path model provided preliminary support for the model. Findings support the relevance of considering students' quality of life in addition to the current focus on monitoring academic achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Student engagement in high school classrooms from the perspective of flow theory.

We present a conceptualization of student engagement based on the culmination of concentration, interest, and enjoyment (i.e., flow). Using a longitudinal sample of 526 high school students across the U.S., we investigated how adolescents spent their time in high school and the conditions under which they reported being engaged. Participants experienced increased engagement when the perceived challenge of the task and their own skills were high and in balance, the instruction was relevant, and the learning environment was under their control. Participants were also more engaged in individual and group work versus listening to lectures, watching videos, or taking exams. Suggestions to increase engagement, such as focusing on learning activities that support students' autonomy and provide an appropriate level of challenge for students' skills, conclude the article. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deciding where knowledge comes from depends on where you look.

The purpose of this investigation was to replicate the findings of K. E. Stanovich and A. E. Cunningham (1993) concerning the antecedents of declarative knowledge, using different measures of general ability and TV exposure. In addition, the authors were interested in the relationship between epistemological knowledge and these measures. Ninety-seven introductory psychology students participated. Results showed that measures of both general ability and TV exposure exhibited a stronger relationship to declarative knowledge than that found by K. E. Stanovich and A. E. Cunningham. These differences in results concerning TV exposure were explained by suggesting the possibility that watching educational TV increases literacy whereas watching noneducational TV may actually limit it. The epistemological beliefs of simple and certain knowledge were statistically related to composites of knowledge, ability, and both types of exposure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of early research experience and research self-efficacy.

Graduate students in psychology typically report that they either love research or hate research. Despite the fact that most doctoral students in psychology enter some type of clinical practice upon graduation, research is a requirement for all students enrolled in scientist-practitioner programs regardless of their career aspirations beyond graduation. Research advances knowledge in the field of psychology and often guides clinical practice, yet very few psychologists conduct research after graduate school (C. J. Gelso, 1993). Efforts have been undertaken to determine factors that contribute to graduate students' research productivity. One such factor may be research self-efficacy. This study examined the influence of early research experience as a factor to bolster research self-efficacy. Results indicated that supportive peers and mentors contributed to positive research experiences. Additionally, positive team research experiences significantly predicted research self-efficacy. Implications for training programs and students are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' and students' beliefs about punishment.

360 1st, 3rd and 5th graders and their 16 teachers from 3 school systems were interviewed in the fall and spring of the same school year to assess the developing relationship between teachers' and students' beliefs about punishment. Older children were less punitive than younger children. Teachers remained relatively punitive compared with 5th graders. Teachers with more punitive beliefs had students whose beliefs were more punitive when compared with students whose teachers had less punitive beliefs. Children and teachers thought that teachers should give more punitive responses than peers for the same misbehavior. The school systems that allowed corporal punishment had students with more punitive beliefs than the school system without corporal punishment. Results indicate that the school environment is perceived to be authoritarian and punitive by students and teachers. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Code of silence: Students' perceptions of school climate and willingness to intervene in a peer's dangerous plan.

The current study presented 1,933 adolescents from 13 schools with a scenario about a hypothetical peer's plan to "do something dangerous" at school and asked how likely they would be to respond with four different actions: intervene directly, tell a teacher or principal, discuss it with a friend but not an adult, and do nothing. High school students were less likely than those in middle school to say they would approach the peer directly or confide in a teacher or principal. Students were most likely to favor taking action on their own over all of the other response strategies. Students with positive perceptions of their schools were more likely to say they would do something rather than ignore their peer's dangerous intentions. These relationships were mediated by students' beliefs that confiding in a teacher may have unfavorable consequences. Findings from this study support the important role schools play in creating a culture where students take responsibility for one another. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept and peer acceptance in students with learning disabilities: A four- to five-year prospective study.

Examined the peer relations and self-concepts of students prior to and following their identification by the school district as learning disabled (LD) in a 4- to 5-yr prospective study. Self-concept ratings (kindergarten–4th grade) and peer acceptance ratings (kindergarten–3rd grade), as well as academic achievement scores, were compared across 3 groups: LD students who were placed in resource special education programs during 2nd grade, low-achieving (LA) students, and average-achieving/high-achieving (AA/HA) students. For peer acceptance, AA/HA students' scores were higher than LA students' scores only. No between-groups differences were obtained during any school year on the self-concept measure. Findings suggest that LD students' self-perceptions are not negatively affected by academic and social difficulties in the early grades or by the identification and labeling process. Though generalization is limited by the small sample size, few studies have examined students with learning disabilities longitudinally or prior to and following their identification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enhancing student academic and health functioning: A self-regulatory perspective.

Discusses a program of research on students' self-regulation of their academic and health functioning from initial operational definitions to training and intervention studies. This body of evidence has shown that students' use of self-regulatory processes, such as learning strategies, goal setting, self-monitoring, and self-efficacy beliefs, predict academic and health success and self-motivation. From a social cognitive perspective, students' development of self-regulation begins initially with social modeling and imitation and shifts to self-directed sources of control. Deficiencies in self-regulation are linked to student's health and academic problems. Implications for school psychologists are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Within-grade changes in Korean girls' motivation and perceptions of the learning environment across domains and achievement levels.

This study tested whether students' motivation and perceptions of the learning environment changed significantly within the school year. Korean high school girls' (N = 375) perceptions of the performance goal structures in the environment increased significantly throughout the school year. The girls' personal achievement goals and task value demonstrated few significant within-grade changes, but their self-efficacy fluctuated significantly around examinations. Motivational beliefs were more stable than were perceptions of the environment. Nevertheless, the modified perceptions of the learning environment explained changes in motivation, justifying continued efforts to create a motivationally adaptive environment. Construct relations were consistent across different academic contexts. There was no evidence that low-achieving girls responded more negatively to the classroom performance goals than did their better-achieving peers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)