TY - JOUR
T1 - Scientific epistemic beliefs, conceptions of learning science and self-efficacy of learning science among high school students
AU - Tsai, Chin Chung
AU - Jessie Ho, Hsin Ning
AU - Liang, Jyh Chong
AU - Lin, Hung Ming
N1 - Funding Information:
The funding of this study is supported, in part, by the National Science Council , Taiwan, under grant contract numbers NSC 99-2511-S-011-005-MY3 , and NSC 100-2631-S-011-001 .
PY - 2011/12
Y1 - 2011/12
N2 - This study examined the relationships among Taiwanese high school students' scientific epistemic beliefs, conceptions of learning science, and self-efficacy of learning science. The questionnaire responses gathered from 377 high school students in Taiwan were utilized to elicit such relationships. The analysis of the structural equation model revealed that students' absolutist scientific epistemic beliefs led to lower-level conceptions of learning science (i.e. learning science as memorizing, preparing for tests, calculating, and practicing) while sophisticated scientific epistemic beliefs might trigger higher-level conceptions of learning science (i.e. learning science as increase of knowledge, applying, and attaining understanding). The students' lower-level conceptions of learning science were also found to negatively associate with their self-efficacy of learning science, while the higher-level conceptions of learning science fostered students' self-efficacy. However, this study found that students who viewed scientific knowledge as uncertain (advanced epistemic belief) tended to possess lower self-efficacy toward learning science.
AB - This study examined the relationships among Taiwanese high school students' scientific epistemic beliefs, conceptions of learning science, and self-efficacy of learning science. The questionnaire responses gathered from 377 high school students in Taiwan were utilized to elicit such relationships. The analysis of the structural equation model revealed that students' absolutist scientific epistemic beliefs led to lower-level conceptions of learning science (i.e. learning science as memorizing, preparing for tests, calculating, and practicing) while sophisticated scientific epistemic beliefs might trigger higher-level conceptions of learning science (i.e. learning science as increase of knowledge, applying, and attaining understanding). The students' lower-level conceptions of learning science were also found to negatively associate with their self-efficacy of learning science, while the higher-level conceptions of learning science fostered students' self-efficacy. However, this study found that students who viewed scientific knowledge as uncertain (advanced epistemic belief) tended to possess lower self-efficacy toward learning science.
KW - Conceptions of learning
KW - Epistemic beliefs
KW - Science education
KW - Science learning
KW - Self-efficacy
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U2 - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2011.05.002
DO - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2011.05.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80051816466
SN - 0959-4752
VL - 21
SP - 757
EP - 769
JO - Learning and Instruction
JF - Learning and Instruction
IS - 6
ER -