Personal Epistemology in the Classroom
Theory, Research, and Implications for Practice

This book presents theoretical and empirical work pertaining to personal epistemology in the classroom and consider its broader educational implications.

Lisa D. Bendixen (Edited by), Florian C. Feucht (Edited by)

9781107412507, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 3 January 2013

616 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm, 0.81 kg

Personal epistemology is the study of beliefs associated with knowledge and knowing. A large body of theory and research in personal epistemology has been dedicated to college students, but rarely have the epistemic beliefs of children, adolescents, and their teachers been thoroughly examined. This book incorporates both theoretical and empirical work pertaining to personal epistemology as it specifically relates to learning and instruction. Bringing together leading research on pre-school through high school students' personal epistemology, it re-examines existing conceptual frameworks, introduces new models, provides an empirical foundation for learning and instruction, and considers broader educational implications. In addition, the contributors stress how personal epistemology issues in the classroom need to be more carefully investigated and understood.

Part I. Introduction: 1. Personal epistemology in the classroom: a welcome and guide for the reader Florian C. Feucht and Lisa D. Bendixen
Part II. Frameworks and Conceptual Issues: 2. Manifestations of an epistemological belief system in preschool to grade twelve classrooms Marlene Schommer-Aikins, Mary Bird and Linda Bakken
3. Epistemic climate in elementary classrooms Florian C. Feucht
4. The integrative model of personal epistemology development: theoretical underpinnings and implications for education Deanna C. Rule and Lisa D. Bendixen
5. An epistemic framework for scientific reasoning in informal contexts Fang-Ying Yang and Chin-Chung Tsai
6. Who knows what and who can we believe? Epistemological beliefs are beliefs about knowledge (mostly) to be attained from others Rainer Bromme, Dorothe Kienhues and Torsten Porsch
Part III. Students' Personal Epistemology, its Development, and its Relation to Learning: 7. Stalking young persons' changing beliefs about belief Michael J. Chandler and Travis Proulx
8. Epistemological development in very young knowers Leah K. Wildenger, Barbara K. Hofer and Jean E. Burr
9. Beliefs about knowledge and revision of knowledge: on the importance of epistemic beliefs for intentional conceptual change in elementary and middle school students Lucia Mason
10. The reflexive relation between students' mathematics-related beliefs and the mathematics classroom culture Erik De Corte, Peter Op 't Eynde, Fien Depaepe and Lieven Verschaffel
11. Examining the influence of epistemic beliefs and goal orientations on the academic performance of adolescent students enrolled in high-poverty, high-minority schools P. Karen Murphy, Michelle M. Buehl, Jill A. Zeruth, Maeghan N. Edwards, Joyce F. Long and Shinichi Monoi
12. Using cognitive interviewing to explore elementary and secondary school students' epistemic and ontological cognition Jeffrey A. Greene, Judith Torney-Purta, Roger Azevedo and Jane Robertson
Part IV. Teachers' Personal Epistemology and its Impact on Classroom Teaching: 13. Epistemological resources and framing: a cognitive framework for helping teachers interpret and respond to their students' epistemologies Andrew Elby and David Hammer
14. The effects of teachers' beliefs on elementary students' beliefs, motivation, and achievement in mathematics Krista R. Muis and Michael J. Foy
15. Teachers' articulation of beliefs about teaching knowledge: conceptualizing a belief framework Helenrose Fives and Michelle M. Buehl
16. Beyond epistemology: assessing teachers' epistemological and ontological worldviews Lori Olafson and Gregory Schraw
Part V. Conclusion: 17. Personal epistemology in the classroom: what do research and theory tell us and where do we need to go next? Lisa D. Bendixen and Florian C. Feucht.

Subject Areas: Educational psychology [JNC], Child & developmental psychology [JMC], Psychology [JM]