Conceptual and methodological issues in research on epistemological beliefs
Final Report Abstract
Research on learners´ epistemological beliefs, i.e. beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing has expanded considerably in recent years. There exists a growing amount of empirical evidence that so called “sophisticated” epistemological beliefs are related to more adequate learning strategies and better learning outcomes. An adequate understanding of the nature of knowledge is seen as a necessity for public engagement with science, i.e. for an active civic participation in modern science- and technology-based societies. Therefore, sophisticated epistemological beliefs represent an essential goal of education that has to be taken serious. Nevertheless, in research on epistemological beliefs a variety of conceptual and methodological issues and apparently paradox results still exist. Important issues concern the number of and the kinds of dimensions that epistemological beliefs encompass, the interaction between different levels of epistemological beliefs (like general and discipline-related beliefs), and the issue of stability and context-dependency of epistemological beliefs. Concerning methodology many instruments exist to measure epistemological beliefs, but up to now all attempts to develop a reliable and valid questionnaire have brought little success. The aim of the “European network of research on epistemological beliefs” was to bring together researchers who are working on epistemological beliefs. Members were senior and junior researchers from different European (mostly German) universities, starting from different research strands (Educational Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Science Education and Personality Psychology). The network discussed the conceptual and methodological issues mentioned above on epistemological beliefs. The network members met in a series of seven workshops including further invited international researchers. Each of these workshops focused on one of the different research strands mentioned above. Some of the internationally best known researchers on epistemological beliefs joined the workshops as special guests. The most important result of the network was that German and European research on epistemological beliefs has been strengthened significantly. The network was acknowledged internationally and improved the international visibility of epistemological belief research. Important aims that were attained were a special issue in a peer reviewed journal on “epistemological beliefs and metacognition”, an edited book on “epistemological beliefs and cognitive flexibility”; numerous individual papers and conference contributions inspired by the network and four keynote talks on international conferences. The network also inspired further research activities, for example the framework for a DFG special priority program “Science and the general public' (SPP 1409), its international cooperation and three successful project applications.
Publications
- (2006). Epistemological understanding in different judgment domains: Relationships with gender, grade level, and curriculum. International Journal of Educational Research, 45 (1-2), 43-56
Mason L., Boldrin A., & Zurlo G.
- (2006). The domain generality-specificity of epistemological beliefs: A theoretical problem, a methodological problem or both? International Journal of Educational Research, 45 (1-2), 7-27
Limon, M.
- Special Issue: On the generality and specificity of epistemological beliefs and the educational relevance of this issue, International Journal of Educational Research, 45 (1-2)
Limon, M. (ed.)
- (2007). Epistemological beliefs, school achievement, and college major: A large-scale, longitudinal study on the impact of certainty beliefs. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32, 348-366
Trautwein, U. & Lüdtke, O.
- (2007). Predicting global and topic-specific certainty beliefs: Domain-specificity and the role of the academic environment. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77, 904-934
Trautwein, U. & Lüdtke, O.
- (2007). The CAEB: An instrument for measuring connotative aspects of epistemological beliefs. Learning and Instruction, 17 (6), 773-785
Stahl, E. & Bromme, R.
- (2008). Changing epistemological beliefs: The unexpected impact of a short-term intervention. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78, 545-565
Kienhues, D. , Bromme, R., & Stahl, E.
- (2008). Die Erfassung wissenschaftsbezogener Überzeugungen in der gymnasialen Oberstufe und im Studium: Eine Validierung des Fragebogens zur Erfassung des Entwicklungsniveaus epistemologischer Überzeugungen (FREE). Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 22, 277-291
Trautwein, U. & Lüdtke, O.
- (2008). Knowledge and epistemological beliefs: an intimate but complicate relationship. In M. S. Khine (Ed.), Knowing, knowledge and beliefs. epistemological studies across diverse cultures (pp. 423-441). New York: Springer
Bromme, R., Kienhues, D., & Stahl, E.
- (2009). Differentiating theories from evidence: The development of argument evaluation abilities in adolescence and early adulthood. Informal Logic, 29, 396- 416
Barchfeld, P. & Sodian, B.
- (2010). Epistemological beliefs and epistemic strategies in selfregulated learning. Metacognition and Learning, 5, 47-65
Richter, T. & Schmid, S.
- (2010). Epistemological beliefs are standards for adaptive learning: A functional theory about epistemological beliefs and metacognition. Metacognition and Learning, 5, (1), 7-26
Bromme, R., Pieschl, S. & Stahl, E.
- (2010). Special Issue: Situating and relating epistemological beliefs into metacognition: studies on beliefs about knowledge and knowing. Metacognition & Learning, 5, (1)
Mason, L. & Bromme, R. (Eds.)
- (2010). Who knows what and who can we believe? Epistemological beliefs are beliefs about knowledge (mostly) attained from others. In L. D. Bendixen & F. C. Feucht (Eds.), Personal Epistemology in the Classroom: Theory, Research, and Implications for Practice (pp. 163-193). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Bromme, R., Kienhues, D., & Porsch, T.
- (2011). Epistemic beliefs in action: Spontaneous reflections about knowledge and knowing during online information searching and their influence on learning. Learning and Instruction, 21 (1), 137-151
Mason, L., Ariasi, N., & Boldrin, A.
