Examining secondary school students’ views of model evaluation through an integrated framework of personal epistemology

The aim of the study was to investigate students’ views of model evaluation through the lens of personal epistemology. We developed an integrated analytical framework by combining a developmental framework, including absolutist, multiplist, and evaluatist, with a multi-dimensional framework, including limits of knowing, certainty of knowing, and criteria of knowing. Furthermore, we examined the potential influence of the question contexts and the students’ grade levels. A total of 188 secondary school students were surveyed. Students answered two sets of model evaluation questions based on two scientific contexts. After reading the information about the two models, the students had to choose from three epistemic assumptions and then provide written justifications explaining their choice of assumptions. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted for the multiple-choice questions and the written responses. In both contexts there were higher percentages of 11th-grade students choosing the evaluatist assumptions than the eighth-grade students. For students choosing multiplist and evaluatist assumptions, the 11th-grade students were more likely than the eighth-grade students to think in terms of pragmatic and evidential criteria as the criteria of knowing. Different contexts of the questions evoked different views of model evaluation particularly regarding the limits of knowing. Four additional categories of epistemic levels also emerged from the data. This study provides a new framework for understanding students’ thinking about model evaluation. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

“This Will Blow Your Mind”: examining the urge to click clickbaits

PurposeIntegrating the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory, the notion of information richness and personal epistemology framework, the purpose of this research is to propose and empirically validate a framework which specifies Internet users' urge to click clickbaits.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses in the proposed framework were tested using a between-participants experimental design (N = 204) that manipulated information richness (text-only vs. thumbnail clickbaits).FindingsCuriosity, perceived enjoyment and surveillance were significant predictors of the urge to click. In terms of information richness, the urge to click was higher for thumbnail vis-à-vis text-only clickbaits. IEB (IEB) moderated the relation between the gratification of passing time and the urge to click.Originality/valueThis paper represents one of the earliest attempts to investigate Internet users' urge to click clickbaits. Apart from extending the boundary conditions of the U&G theory, it integrates two other theoretical lenses, namely, the notion of information richness and personal epistemology framework, to develop and empirically validate a theoretical framework.

Children’s conceptions of knowledge and cognition: On the development of epistemic thinking in early and middle childhood

Metacognitive and epistemological reflection are often perceived as being beyond the perceptive and cognitive abilities of young children. Research, however, has proven that at a very early stage of develop- ment children are naturally intrigued by their own minds, observe and draw conclusions, build personal conceptions of knowledge and cognition, and quickly move from the stage of “naïve theories of mind” to reflecting on more advanced epistemological phenomena. The aim of this article is present the idea of epistemological reflection and its role in the development of children’s conceptions of knowledge and cognition. Theoretical considerations will be complemented with a research project driven by the following research questions: What is the conception of knowledge among young children? What differ- ences do they perceive between knowledge and learning? Visual and verbal explanations prepared by children will be used to present the role such personal epistemology plays in future self-regulation com- petency and in constructing children’s ability to evaluate their own learning and set new aims. In summary, the conclusions for educational practice will be discussed.

Η εννοιολογική αλλαγή στη μάθηση της φυσικής και ο ρόλος της σχετικής με τη φυσική προσωπικής επιστημολογίας

The present paper presents a skeletal theoretical model for understanding the role of physics-related personal epistemology in conceptual change in physics learning. It is argued that personal beliefs regarding the nature of knowledge and knowing in physics can function as constraints on the knowledge acquisition process, just like ontologicalpresuppositions and other beliefs of a motivational and affective character can do. Beliefs about knowledge and knowing can have a direct impact on the kind of new information that is picked up from the physical and social-cultural context and the way it is explained. They can also have an indirect impact on picking up and explaining information, by influencing certain mediating cognitive and metacognitive functions, such as study strategies used to accomplish learning goals and self-regulation of knowledge acquisition. Evidence from a number of studies supporting the theoretical model is presented.

Διερευνώντας τις σχέσεις ανάμεσα στη Θεωρία του Νου και στις Επιστημικές Πεποιθήσεις

The present research investigated a) beliefs about the mind of others elementary school children’s (Theory of Mind), b) their epistemic beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing (Personal Epistemology), and c) the relationship between these two domains, in order to examine the hypothesis that Theory of Mind is a first step towards the development of a Personal Epistemology. Forty-six fifth graders were administered measures of their ability to attribute false beliefs to others and of their epistemic stance. The results showed statistically significantcorrelations between children’s ability to understand the beliefs of others and their epistemic beliefs. Furthermore, students performed better on Theory of Mind measures in relation to epistemic measures indicating that children more readily understand the constructivist nature of knowledge in the domain of Theory of Mind. The regression analyses carried out showed that Theory of Mind highly contributes to children’s epistemic stance.