Marlene Schommer-Aikins

Epistemological Beliefs, Mathematical Problem‐Solving Beliefs, and Academic Performance of Middle School Students

This study examined the structure of middle school students’ general epistemological beliefs and domain‐specific mathematical problem‐solving beliefs by asking whether the 2 belief systems are related and whether they predict students’ academic performance. Over 1,200 seventh‐ and eighth‐grade students completed an Epistemological Questionnaire, the Indiana Mathematical Belief Scale, and the Fennema‐Sherman Usefulness Scale. Based on regression analyses, beliefs in quick/fixed learning (i.e., that learning is fast and instinctual) and studying aimlessly (i.e., studying without strategy) were significantly related to beliefs about effortful math, useful math, understand math concepts, and math confidence. Furthermore, path analysis suggested that both general and domain‐specific epistemological beliefs predicted academic performance as measured by solving mathematic problems and overall grade point average.

Measures of People's Beliefs About Knowledge and Learning

Different measures of peoples beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning are described along with the theories upon which they are based. The initial theories tended to be unidimensional developmental theories and their measuring instruments lengthy, in-depth interviews. More recently, multidimensional theories have emerged that provide a more complex theory of epistemology. Recent measuring instruments are attempting to address these complexities using paper-and-pencil questionnaires that are easy to score. The measuring instruments differ considerably on what dimensions they measure and researchers are urged to select carefully the one that best matches their purpose. Specific descriptive information is provided regarding selected instruments to aid researchers in their choices. Both theory and psychometric properties are considered critical issues for the decision-making process.

Ways of Knowing and Epistemological Beliefs: Combined effect on academic performance

To obtain a more complete understanding of personal epistemology this study examines two epistemic paradigms – ways of knowing (specifically connected knowing and separate knowing) and epistemological beliefs (specifically beliefs about knowledge structure, knowledge stability, learning speed, and learning ability). Participants were 107 college students who completed questionnaires that assessed ways of knowing and epistemological beliefs. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that men score significantly higher on separate knowing. Path analyses revealed that the effects of ways of knowing on academic performance are mediated by belief in the speed of learning.

Understanding Middle Students' Beliefs About Knowledge and Learning Using a Multidimensional Paradigm

Abstract Recent theory (Schommer, 1990) suggests that personal epistemology is multidimensional. The multidimensional epistemology structure with middle school students was tested in this study. Over 1,200 students in Grades 7 and 8 completed an epistemological belief questionnaire. Prior theory, developed with college students, suggested 4 epistemological belief factors: Ability to Learn, Structure of Knowledge, Speed of Learning, and Stability of Knowledge. Confirmatory factor analysis applied to a random half of the sample indicated that a 3-factor model was a good fit to the data. That model was replicated with the second half of the data. Follow-up regression analyses indicated that the more students believed in gradual learning and incremental ability to learn, the higher GPA they earned.

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.

Scientists are not deficient in mental imagery: Galton revised

In 1880, Galton carried out an investigation of imagery in a sample of distinguished men and a sample of nonscientists (adolescent male students). He concluded that scientists were either totally lacking in visual imagery or had “feeble” powers of mental imagery. This finding has been widely accepted in the secondary literature in psychology. A replication of Galtons study with modern scientists and modern university undergraduates found no scientists totally lacking in visual imagery and very few with feeble visual imagery. Examination of Galtons published data shows that his own published data do not support his claims about deficient visual imagery in scientists. The modern data for scientists and nonscientists and the 1880 data for scientists and nonscientists are in agreement in showing that all groups report substantial imagery on recollective memory tasks such as Galtons breakfast questionnaire. We conclude that Galtons conclusions were an example of theory-laden interpretation of data based on the initial responses from several very salient scientists who reported little or no visual imagery on Galtons imagery questionnaire.

Applying the Theory of an Epistemological Belief System to the Investigation of Students’ and Professors’ Mathematical Beliefs

This is an investigation of university students’ beliefs about the nature of mathematical knowledge and learning. Twenty undergraduates and four mathematicians were asked to describe their beliefs using analogies and percentages. Comparisons between groups revealed that students were somewhat similar to mathematicians in beliefs about the control and speed of learning, and the source of knowledge. Students were dissimilar to mathematicians in beliefs about the structure, certainty, and justification of knowledge. Students who believed mathematical knowledge is a linear and unchanging, reported using superficial study habits.

Phonological Assessment and Analysis of Bilingual Preschoolers' Spanish and English Word Productions

PURPOSE The major purpose of this study was to examine Spanish and English phonological productions (patterns/deviations) of typically developing bilingual preschool children. Phonological scores were compared in order to determine if significant differences exist between (a) boys and girls, (b) 4- and 5-year-olds, and/or (c) their productions of Spanish and English words. METHOD Fifty-six bilingual 4- and 5-year-old children (27 boys and 29 girls) who attended Head Start programs named stimulus items for Spanish and English phonological assessment instruments that were similar in procedures and analyses. RESULTS Multivariate analyses indicated no significant differences for phonological scores between boys and girls or between the 2 languages. Differences between the 4- and 5-year-olds, however, were significant, with the 5-year-olds performing better than the 4-year-olds. Liquid deviations and omissions of consonants in clusters/sequences were the most frequently occurring phonological deviations. CONCLUSIONS Phonological score differences between typically developing bilingual Spanish-English-speaking preschool boys and girls from similar backgrounds are not likely to be significant. Better phonological scores, however, can be expected for 5-year-olds than for 4-year-olds. Moreover, phonological deviation percentage scores of typically developing bilingual children for comparable Spanish and English assessment instruments are likely to be similar.

Cultural Values at the Individual Level and the Malleability of Ways of Knowing.

This research tested the relationship between individuals cultural values and the malleability in their ways of knowing in two social contexts. Two hundred and ninety-two college students majoring in either business or social sciences initially received two priming conditions (two weeks apart) where they reflected on either their in-group or their out-group. Then, their adherences to ways of knowing: separate knowing (SK, being a devil’s advocate) and connected knowing (CK, being perspective taker) and cultural values: collectivist-horizontal, collectivist-vertical, individualist-horizontal and individualist-vertical were assessed. Analyses revealed a priming condition X ways of knowing X cultural values interaction. When students had their in-group in mind, their CK score was significantly higher than their SK score in all cultural categories. When students had their out-group in mind, their CK scores decreased to comparable levels of their SK score in all cultural values except horizontal-collectivist. Students with a dominant collectivist-horizontal values maintained higher CK scores compared with their SK scores in the out-group condition. Implications for perspective-taking and critical thinking are discussed.

Spontaneous Cognitive Flexibility and an Encompassing System of Epistemological Beliefs

The model presented links an array of epistemological beliefs to cognitive flexibility and is based on three fundamental theory statements. First, beliefs in multiple solutions, multiple sources of knowledge, and connected knowing can motivate learners to search for more than one option for finding solutions or viewpoints. Second, beliefs in tentative knowledge, separate knowing, and complex knowledge can encourage learners to reactivate their search for solutions based on the passage of time or a trigger event. Third, beliefs in gradual learning, complex knowledge, and tentative knowledge can encourage learners to resist premature closure. Two assumptions underlie these three statements. First, cognitive flexibility includes adaptive changing and monitoring the efficacy of the change. Second, changing or adapting one’s thinking capriciously is not cognitive flexibility. Rather, unbridled change is an aberrant manifestation of context sensitivity.