Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire

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Introduction

The Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire has been developed to measure teachers' and students' belief about knowledge and its acquisition.

“The study of epistemological beliefs is more than an esoteric exercise. Epistemological beliefs play a subtle, yet critical role in learning. Therefore, it is important that we develop a deep understanding of the nature of these beliefs.” [1]

See also:

Schommer 1990

Schommer (1990) addressed two research questions: “What are students’ beliefs about the nature of knowledge?” and “How do these beliefs affect comprehension?” [2]

A revised version was discussed in Schommer (1994a) [3] and explained in more detail in Schommer (1994b) [1]

Schommer's EBQ includes 63 items measuring five dimensions:

  1. Source of knowledge: From knowledge is handed down by omniscient authority to knowledge is reasoned out through objective and subjective means.
  2. Certainty of knowledge: From knowledge is absolute to knowledge is constantly evolving.
  3. Organization of knowledge: From knowledge is compartmentalized to knowledge is highly integrated and interwoven.
  4. Control of learning: From ability to learn is genetically predetermined to ability to learn is acquired through experience.
  5. Speed of learning: From learning is quick or not-at-all to learning is a gradual process.

[1]

Chang and Elliott 2004

“Four epistemological belief and two teaching and learning conception dimensions were identified from a survey study of a sample of Hong Kong teacher education students. The epistemological belief dimensions were labeled Innate/Fixed Ability, Learning Effort/Process, Authority/Expert Knowledge and Certainty Knowledge. [..] The two teaching and learning conceptions were labelled Traditional and Constructivist Conceptions.” [4].

Questionnaire development is described in Chan and Elliott (2002). [5]

Below are sample items of the epistemological beliefs questionnaire.

Dimensions Items
Innate/Fixed Ability
  • There isn’t much you can do to make yourself smarter as your ability is fixed at birth
  • One's innate ability limits what one can learn.
Learning Effort/Process
  • If people can’t understand something right away, they should keep on trying.
  • Knowing how to learn is more important than the acquired facts.
Authority/Expert Knowledge
  • Sometimes, I don’t believe the facts in textbooks written by authorities.
  • Even advice from experts should often be questioned.
Certainty Knowledge
  • Scientists will ultimately get to the truth if they keep searching for it.
  • Scientific knowledge is certain and does not change.

Chai et al. 2006

Chai et al. (2006) [6] adapted an instrument developed by Chan and Elliott’s (2004) [4] study. The latter was from Schommer’s larger 63-item questionnaire on various epistemological dimensions. This modified EBQ version “covers four dimensions, labelled as Innate/Fixed Ability, LearningEffort/Process, Authority/Expert Knowledge and Certainty of Knowledge” (Chai et al, 2006:291):

Dimensions Sample items
Innate/Fixed Ability (INFIX) ● Students who begin school with average ability remain average

● Our ability to learn is fixed at birth

Learning Effort/Process (LEP) ● Understanding course materials and thinking process are more important than acquiring knowledge/facts

● Knowing how to learn is more important than the acquired facts

Authority/Expert Knowledge (AEK) ● I still believe in what the experts say even though it differs from what I know

● I have no doubt in whatever the expert says

Certainty of Knowledge (CK) ● Scientific knowledge is certain and does not change

● If scientists try hard enough, they can find the truth to almost anything

Bibliography and references

Cited with footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Schommer, M. (1994). An emerging conceptualization of epistemological beliefs and their role in learning. In Garner, R., and Alexander, P. (eds.), Beliefs About Text and About Text Instruction, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp. 25-39.
  2. ↑ Schommer, M. (1990). Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(3), 498–504. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.82.3.498
  3. ↑ Schommer, M., Synthesizing epistemological belief of research: tentative understandings and provocative confusions, Educational Psychology Review, 6 (4) (1994), pp. 293-319
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chan, K. W. & Elliot, R. G. (2004) Relational analysis of personal epistemology and conceptions about teaching and learning, Teaching and Teacher Education, 20, 817–831
  5. ↑ Chan, K., & Elliott, R. G. (2002). Exploratory Study of Hong Kong Teacher Education Students’ Epistemological Beliefs: Cultural Perspectives and Implications on Beliefs Research. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 27(3), 392–414. http://doi.org/10.1006/CEPS.2001.1102
  6. ↑ Chai, C. S., Khine, M. S., & Teo, T. (2006). Epistemological beliefs on teaching and learning: a survey among pre‐service teachers in Singapore. Educational Media International, 43(4), 285–298. Online version. http://doi.org/10.1080/09523980600926242

Bibliography

  • Chai, C. S., Khine, M. S., & Teo, T. (2007). Epistemological beliefs on teaching and learning: a survey among pre‐service teachers in Singapore. Educational Media International, 43(4), 285–298. http://doi.org/10.1080/09523980600926242
  • Chan, K. W. & Elliott, R. G. (2002) Exploratory study of Hong Kong teacher education students’ epistemolog-ical beliefs: cultural perspectives and implications on beliefs research,Contemporary Educational Psychology,27(3), 392–414.
  • Schommer, M. (1990) Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension, Journal of Educational Psychology, 82 (3), 498–504
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