Relational analysis of personal epistemology and conceptions about teaching and learning

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Abstract

Four epistemological belief and two teaching and learning conception dimensions were identified from a survey study of a sample of Hong Kong teacher education students. The epistemological belief dimensions were labeled Innate/Fixed Ability, Learning Effort/Process, Authority/Expert Knowledge and Certainty Knowledge. The results on epistemological beliefs were somewhat different from Schommer's findings with North American college students and reflected the influence of cultural contexts. The two teaching and learning conceptions were labelled Traditional and Constructivist Conceptions. Pearson correlation analysis showed significant relations between Innate/Fixed Ability, Authority/Expert Knowledge and Certainty Knowledge with Traditional Conception and Learning Effort/Process with Constructivist Conception. Confirmatory factor analysis also showed the possible causal effect of epistemological beliefs on conceptions about teaching and learning. All these analyses tended to support the suggested views in literature that teachers’ conceptions about teaching and learning are beliefs driven. Implications were drawn for future research in teacher education with respect to the relation of epistemological beliefs and teaching/learning conceptions in different cultures.

Introduction

Researchers in teacher education have suggested that teachers’ classroom behaviour and activities are shaped by various frameworks. These are known by various labels such as implicit theories, conceptions, images and metaphors (Calderhead, 1996; Marland (1995), Marland (1998); Munby, 1986; Richardson, 1996) but, irrespective of names, they represent teachers’ conceptions about teaching and learning which are assumed to be belief driven (Clark & Peterson, 1986; Marland (1995), Marland (1998); Richardson, 1996). While these beliefs have been examined through narrative enquiries and case studies, there is no empirical research reporting quantitative measures of the relations between teachers’ beliefs and conceptions about teaching and learning. Quantitative studies of such relationships, in particular the causal relations of teachers’ beliefs and conceptions, have the potential to inform teachers’ conceptions and hence theoretical frameworks about teaching and learning.

Section snippets

Epistemological beliefs and conceptions about teaching and learning

Since the late 80s, there has been a growing literature on teachers’ beliefs (Fang, 1996), including beliefs about education, beliefs about teaching and learning, and beliefs about teacher efficiency (teacher efficacy). Numerous studies confirm that there are strong connections among teachers’ beliefs, their classroom behaviours, and the learning environment (Brown & Rose, 1995; Kagan, 1992; Nespor, 1987). There are varied opinions, however, as to the extent to which preservice teachers’

Method

A survey study was conducted with a group of Hong Kong teacher education students drawn through convenience sampling. Two questionnaires were administered to 385 teacher education students of a tertiary institution in Hong Kong on the same occasion. The first questionnaire was designed to measure epistemological beliefs and the second questionnaire to examine the conceptions about teaching and learning held by the students. Students were also asked to supply various demographic data such as

Analysis

Statistical analysis of item responses indicated that there was no significant difference across age, gender and elective groups in epistemological beliefs and in the conceptions about teaching and learning. These ideas are reported elsewhere (Chan, 2001; Chan & Elliott, 2002). As one of the objectives of this study was to examine the relationship between students’ epistemological beliefs and their conceptions about teaching and learning, Pearson correlation analysis was applied, followed by

Epistemological beliefs

Addressing the first of research questions, exploratory factor analysis (with eigenvalue greater than 1 and scree plot test) was applied to the EBQ item responses. Only items with a factor loading equal to or greater than .3 were retained. Four factors were extracted representing the subscales or dimensions of the epistemological beliefs concept. According to the nature of the items loaded on the factors, the four epistemological belief dimensions were labelled as Innate/Fixed Ability, Learning

Discussion

In terms of the relative position of the mean subscale scores of the four epistemological belief dimensions (Table 2) as above or below the mid-point 3 in the five-point rating scale, it is possible to characterize the Hong Kong teacher education students’ epistemological beliefs as follows. The Hong Kong teacher education students tended to believe that knowledge is acquired through one's effort and the learning process (mean=3.92) rather than being handed down by authority figures or experts

Conclusions and implications

Hong Kong is unique in that students are exposed to the interactive influences of both traditional Chinese Confucian-heritage culture and Western ideas. The epistemological development of students is mediated by culture-specific educational environments and interactions. The somewhat different results of this study from that of Schommer (1990), Schommer (1994) imply that educational environments and academic practices in a culture, irrespective of students’ gender and fields of study, seem to

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