Epistemological beliefs: differences among educators

Abstract

Epistemological beliefs are personal beliefs about learning and knowledge. Epistemological beliefs have been found to have important implications for learning, for example epistemological beliefs have been found to predict academic achievement (Schommer, Calvert, Gargliette, & Bajaj, 1997), and may predict teaching practices (White 2001). This study examined the epistemological beliefs of 83 (M= 16, F = 67) practicing teachers, 62 of whom were enrolled in a graduate teacher education program. This study utilized the Epistemic Beliefs Inventory (EBI) (Schraw, Bendixen, & Dunkle, 2002) and the four-quadrant method (Schraw & Olafson, 2008) to measure participants' epistemological beliefs. Differences were found among educators based on education level, education program, gender, age, licensure type, and order in which participants received the instruments. The four-quadrant method was found to have small correlations with the EBI. Limitations and implications are discussed.