The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of inquiry-based high school chemistry course and gender differences with respect to students&rsquo / understanding of atom concept, learning approaches, motivational goals, self-efficacy, and epistemological beliefs. In this study, 47 ninth grade students from classes of a chemistry course were taught by the same teacher in Private Y&uuml / ce Science High School in the 2003-2004-spring semester were enrolled. There were two groups in the study. Two instruction methods used in this study were randomly assigned to each group. The experimental group who received Inquiry-Oriented Instruction (IOI) consisted of 22 students while the control group who received Traditionally Designed Chemistry Instruction (TDCI) consisted of 25 students. To examine the effect of the treatment on dependent variables / students&rsquo / understanding of atom concepts measured by Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT), meaningful learning and rote learning measured by Learning Approach Questionnaire (LAQ), learning-goal orientation, performance-goal orientation and self-efficacy measured by Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (AMQ), and epistemological beliefs measured by Science Knowledge Questionnaire (SKQ). t-test and ANOVA were used to test hypotheses of the study. The results showed that the students who used the inquiry oriented instruction had significantly higher scores with respect to achievement related to atom concept than the students who taught with the traditionally designed chemistry instruction. On the other hand, inquiry oriented instruction did not effect students&rsquo / learning approaches, motivational goals, self-efficacy, and epistemological beliefs. And also, the present study failed to find neither difference between boys and girls nor interaction between treatment (IOI vs. TDCI) and gender with respect to students&rsquo / understanding of atom concept, learning approaches, motivational goals, self-efficacy, epistemological beliefs.

The aim of this study was firstly to evaluate the impact of two interactive-engagement models of instruction, namely Whole Class Discussions (WCD) and Computer Simulations (CS) on first year physics student-teachers’ conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics, and on their epistemological beliefs about physics. The force concept inventory was used to evaluate the impact on conceptual understanding while the Epistemological Beliefs About Physical Science questionnaire was used to evaluate the impact on their epistemological beliefs. The findings suggest that interactive engagement models had a positive impact on students’ conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics, and on their epistemological beliefs about physics. The study also contributed WCD and CS activities that can be used or adapted with an aim of enhancing conceptual understanding in physics. The study did not show any direct relationship between students’ conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics and their epistemological beliefs about physics. Key words: Interactive-engagement, Whole Class Discussion, Computer Simulations, epistemological beliefs about physics. / Physics / M.Sc. (Physics Education)

This study describes epistemological beliefs from students in the Degree of Pedagogy at the University of Barcelona (Spain), and analyzes differences inthese beliefs according to their year of study, gender, and age. To do so, the psychometric properties (construct validity and internal consistency) of SchommerEpistemological Questionnaire (1990) were estimated. 229 students participated.Results show that the reliability of the instrument is moderate (a = .653), and the factorial structure revealed validates the epistemological model proposed by Schommer. Furthermore, the results indicate that final year student beliefs aremore sophisticated than first year student beliefs in respect to learning ability andto the structure and certainty of knowledge. Differences were also found owningto the student’s gender, but not to age. / El presente estudio describe las creencias epistemológicas de los estudiantes de pedagogía de la Universidad de Barcelona (España) y analiza diferencias en sus creencias debido al momento de formación, sexo y edad. Para ello se estimaron las propiedades psicométricas (validez de constructo y consistencia interna) del Cuestionario de Creencias Epistemológicas de Schommer (1990). Participaron 229 estudiantes.Los resultados muestran que la fiabilidad del instrumento es moderada (α = .65)y la estructura factorial hallada valida el modelo epistemológico propuesto porSchommer. Asimismo, los resultados indican que las creencias de los estudiantes deúltimo año son más sofisticadas respecto a la habilidad para aprender, estructura y  certeza del conocimiento, en comparación a los estudiantes de primer año. También se encontraron diferencias debido al sexo, pero no debido a la edad. / Os objetivos deste estudo são descrever as crenças epistemológicas dos estudantesde pedagogia da Universidade de Barcelona (Espanha), e analisar diferenças emsuas crenças, tendo em conta a formação em estudos de ensino superior (primeiroe no último ano), sexo e idade. Para fazê-lo, se fez uma estimação das propriedades psicométricas (validade de construto e consistência interna) do Questionário de Crenças Epistemológicas (Schommer, 1990), com a participação de 229 estudantes.Os resultados mostram que a confiabilidade do instrumento é moderada (α = 0,65) e que a estrutura de fatores valida o modelo epistemológico de Schommer. Os resultados também indicam que as crenças dos estudantes do último ano sãomais sofisticadas sobre a capacidade de aprender e a estrutura e a certeza do conhecimento, isto em comparação com os estudantes do primeiro ano. Houve também diferenças devido ao sexo, mas não por causa da idade.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Jacqueline D. Spears / The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between demographic and educational variables, epistemological beliefs as measured by Schommer’s Epistemological Questionnaire (SEQ), and learner perception of selfdirectedness as measured by Guglielmino’s Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS). Participants in this study were undergraduate adult students at a private university in the Midwest region of the United States (N=394). The instruments were administered online during regularly scheduled courses. Data were analyzed at the p<.05 level of significance using Pearson product-moment correlations, factor analysis, stepwise multiple regression, and other statistical techniques. Results of this research included several significant correlations between demographic and educational variables, SEQ factors, and SDLRS total and factor scores. The educational variables of class standing, exposure to the humanities, and exposure to the social sciences significantly correlated with five SDLRS and SEQ total and factor scores. The greatest number of correlations occurred between SEQ factor 2, thinking for yourself is a waste of time, and the SDLRS factors of openness to learning opportunities, view of self as an effective and independent learner, independence and initiative in learning, responsibility for learning, and creativity. Other significant correlations with SEQ factors and SDLRS total and factor scores included age, gender, race, marital status, mother’s and father’s education level, credit earned through independent studies, cohort or non-cohort program type, grade point average, and exposure to learning contracts. Significant findings from the correlations of demographic and educational variables (p<.002) and SEQ factors (p<.05) with SDLRS total scores were entered into a stepwise multiple regression. One educational variable and three SEQ factors accounted for 25.7% of the variance in SDLRS total scores. Several suggestions for the development of expanded empirical and theoretical research initiatives and the improvement of practice were offered. This research provided a clear and compelling rationale for the establishment of adult degree programs which are grounded in the liberal arts, include both career and personal development activities, and allow for increased opportunities for learner self-direction to occur. These elements are necessary to build what Kegan (1994) called a developmental bridge for adult learners.

This essay examines to which degree students in history in a swedish upper secondary schoolmanage to apropriate cogntive tools and frameworks in order to create narratives. The casestudy concentrates on a specific cognitive tool, namley narrative structure and to whichextent it helps students to make order of and organise historical subject matter intomeaningful narratives through teaching that is specifically designed to accomplish this kindof historical reasoning through cognitive tools and frameworks.Furthermore this study also examines epistemological beliefs and to which extent thesebeliefs either help or mislead the students on their way towards a qualified historicalconsciousness.This study also focus on the concept of narrative competence and to which extent studentsin history develop this competence through different frameworks and narrative structure.This study shows how students use cognitive tools and frameworks to create narratives. Butthe students often tend to mix different types of narration in their texts. The definetely tryto create histories with help of narrative structure but they do not manage to go all the waywith the result of their texts being hybrids of different structures of textWhen it comes to the epitemological beliefs many of the students tend to hold relativisticviews of history which doesn ́t necessarily mean they believe anything goes but more in thecontext of perspectives as important to change the direction of the narrative depending onwho is telling the story and what dimension of history that is displayed. Not many studentshave yet reached a evidence-based criterialist position.

本研究的主要目的在探究以想法為中心的教學設計對大學生學習歷程與知識信念的影響。本研究透過知識論壇 (Knowledge Forum，KF) —一個以知識翻新（knowledge-building）教育理念為核心所建立的數位學習平台—來記錄學生的學習歷程。研究設計採個案研究法，以一個班級為研究單位，藉由多元資料的蒐集，以深入瞭解知識翻新教學對大學生在學習歷程上的影響。研究對象為某大學修習「生活科技概論」課程之22位學生。 資料來源包括：(1) 知識論壇上的學習筆記(note)—即學生整學期在知識論壇平台上的貼文與對話記錄；(2) 期末科技成品與影音記錄—即課程中學生所設計科技產品的期末發表; (3) 期末反思—即學生的期末學習心得; (4) 知識信念問卷(Chan & Elliott, 2004)的前後測資料。 本研究依據資料分析結果提出以下三點主要結論: (1)協作式的知識共構活動可以幫助學生跳脫傳統以個人為中心的學習方式，並進而以集體想法交流的形式來共構知識；(2) 從學生在科技產品上的創意表現可知，學生已逐漸能體認到知識是可以被創造的，人人都有能力創造知識；(3) 學生經過一學期的知識建構過程後，在知識信念上也有部分轉變，特別是在「天賦能力」的面向上，傾向學習能力並非天賦且不可改變的觀點。 根據上述結論，本研究在教育實務上提出以下三點建議：(1) 教師應多運用想法中心的教學設計，以培養有自主想法的學生，並藉此激勵學生積極參與學習社群中的知識共構活動；(2) 教師應將知識創造的能力視為學生學習的關鍵能力，以培養學生面對未來職場所需的競爭力；(3) 師資培育機構應注重師資培育生在知識信念上的發展，並協助其養成更具建構取向與學生中心的教學信念。 關鍵詞：想法中心、電腦支援協作學習、知識翻新、知識信念、主動學習 / The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of idea-centered education on college students’ learning progress and change in epistemological beliefs. An online collaborative knowledge-building environment—Knowledge Forum (KF)—was employed in this study to document the process of students’ idea generation and development, as well as their belief change. This study employed a case-study design, using a college class as a unit for investigation, with multiple datasets collected to understand how knowledge building might affect students’ learning process and outcome. Participants were 22 students (16 females and 6 males) who took a course titled “Introduction to Living Technology” in a university, Taiwan. Major data sources include: (1) Students’ online discourse recorded in a KF database; (2) Students’ final presentations about the technology products they designed (the presentations were videotaped); (3) An open-ended survey employed to elicit students’ reflection on what they did and learned from this course; (4) A belief questionnaire, adopted from Chan & Elliott (2004), which was administered in the beginning and at the end of the course. There were three main findings: (1) An idea-centered approach was found helpful for students to move away from individual-based learning to taking more collective responsibility in their knowledge advancement. It was found that with support of KF, students were able to engage in continuous idea exchange and improvement; (2) As evidenced in students’ performance on the design of creative technology products, it was suggested that students have gradually realized that knowledge can be created and that all humans has potential to create knowledge; (3) After doing knowledge-building for a whole semester, the participating students also shifted their’ beliefs to become less inclined to believe in inborn ability as a fixed quality. Building on the findings, this study made the following suggestions: (1) To foster student capacity for more autonomous learning and collaborative knowledge building, teachers should try to encourage students to work with ideas and to engage them in sustained idea improvement; (2) Teachers should regard knowledge creation as a key ability that students need to acquire in order to face the competitive workplace in the future; (3) Teacher education programs should pay attention to the development of students’ epistemological beliefs, and to help student develop a more constructivist-oriented and student-centered teaching beliefs. Keywords: idea-centered, CSCL, knowledge building, epistemological beliefs, active learning

No description available.