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Predicting global and topic-specific certainty beliefs: domain-specificity and the role of the academic environment
Ulrich Trautwein1, Oliver Lüdtke
1Center for Educational Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany. Trautwein@mpib-berlin.mpg.de
Background:
Epistemological beliefs are subjective theories of the structure and acquisition of knowledge. The instruments used to measure epistemological beliefs in educational psychology (see Duell & Schommer-Aikins, 2001) typically consist of questionnaires tapping general, decontextualized beliefs about knowledge or knowledge acquisition in a specific field or in general.
Aims:
Using specific theories as stimuli, we determine the degree of topic-specificity of certainty beliefs as well as the association between certainty beliefs and the learning environment.
Sample:
Participants were 662 upper secondary school students (Study 1) and 211 college students (Study 2).
Method:
A global instrument and a topic-specific instrument were used to collect responses to up to 10 stimulus theories. Factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and multi-level modelling were carried out.
Results:
Students' topic-specific certainty beliefs varied markedly across the stimulus theories. Furthermore, students in different academic environments differed more strongly on global certainty beliefs than on topic-specific certainty beliefs, and global certainty beliefs were only loosely connected to topic-specific certainty beliefs.
Conclusion:
Researchers should critically assess the validity of decontextualized global questionnaires for assessing certainty beliefs. If possible, global measures should be complemented by topic-specific measures.
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