Epistemological Beliefs of Teacher Credential Students (original) (raw)
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Developing the Educational Belief Scale: The Validity and Reliability Study
The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale that can be used in determining educational beliefs of teachers and prospective teachers. After studies such as scale expert views and the evaluation of intelligibility, the measure is administered to a sample consisting of 154 teachers and 305 prospective teachers with a total number of 459 participants. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are applied in order to determine the construct validity of the scale. According to the exploratory factor analysis results, the scale consists of five factors including: Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, Reconstructionalism, and Existentionalism with a total of 40 five-Likert type items. Item factor loadings in the related scale range from 0.42 to 0.74, corrected item-total correlations between 0.22 and 0.90, and reliability coefficients between 0.70 and 0.91. Also, the five-factor construct of the scale is confirmed by exploratory factor analysis. The research findings have showed that the Educational Belief Scale is a valid and reliable scale that can be used in determining educational beliefs of teachers and prospective teachers.
Universal Journal of Educational Research
This research mainly aims to test the reliability and validity of the Epistemological Beliefs Scale developed by Kop and Demir (2014) on the level of social sciences teaching from Faculty of Education. A total of 176 students participated in the study, which was carried out on 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th grades of the Social Sciences Teaching Department from the Faculty of Education in Kafkas University. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed for the construct validity of the scale. Within the scope of reliability studies, the internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha) coefficients of the items were examined. As a result of the factor analysis, a total of 15 items consisting of the sub-dimensions that are 'a belief that learning depends on effort' (BLDE), 'a belief that learning depends on ability' (BLDA) and 'a belief of that there is only one truth' (BOOT) have been obtained. The Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficients for dimensions describing 47,783% of the total variance have been found to be 0.71 in total, 0.78 for the first factor, 0.69 for the second factor and 0.51 for the third factor. The compliance indicator examined as a result of confirmatory factor analysis has given satisfactory results in goodness of fit of the model and data. (KMO=0.784; Barlett Sphericty test χ 2 =610.108, χ 2 =122.03, sd=87, p<.01, RMSEA=0.048 and χ 2 /df=1.
The aim of this research was to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool (SSEV) for the determination of the epistemological views of prospective teachers, and to use this scale to elicit the epistemological views of prospective teachers in Turkey. The application was conducted with 930 participants. SSEV was found to account for 48% of the total variance in the participants" epistemological views. SSEV consisted of three sub-dimensions; "authority and accuracy in scientific knowledge", "methodological approach and scientific attitude", and "nature of scientific knowledge". The ω, r, and α reliability coefficients for the whole scale were found to be .868, .838 and .861, respectively. In terms of the results it can be stated that SSEV is a valid and reliable scale to measure teacher candidates" epistemological views. The prospective teachers that constituted the sample of this research generally had mature epistemological views at a slightly higher level than moderate. It was found that the developed/mature epistemological views of the participants were at a high level for the authority and accuracy sub-dimension, above the moderate level for the methodological approaches and scientific attitude, and at a moderate level for nature of scientific knowledge.
The primary purpose of this study was to adapt the Teaching-learning Approaches Questionnaire. The working group of the study consisted of 341 student-teachers. The results indicated that the factor structure is partially consistent with the model. Cronbach reliability coefficient for the whole instrument was .71, while sub-scale reliabilities were .88 and .83. The 30-item questionnaire loaded into two factors. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between epistemological beliefs and teaching-learning conceptions. Further analyses carried out whether teaching-learning conceptions differ based on gender and class-levels. Results indicated that there were significant relationships between epistemological beliefs and teaching-learning conceptions; the student-teachers preferred constructivist approach over the traditional approach, and student-teacher views differed based on gender and class-level. Finally, significant correlations were found among epistemological beliefs (Innate/Fixed Ability, Learning Effort, Learning Process - Casting Doubt on Authority/ Expert Knowledge, and Certainty of Knowledge) and approaches to teaching and learning (Constructivist Conception, Traditional Conception).
2014
The development of epistemic beliefs is regarded as an important goal of education. Three studies were conducted with preservice teachers in Australia to evaluate the validity of a new instrument that has the potential to measure sophistication of epistemic beliefs in a theoretically grounded manner. Two surveys gathered evidence on internal structure and content, and an interview study collected evidence on response process. Findings indicate that the original model and instrument required modifications. The modified instrument exhibited better internal structure. Interview data show that the instrument prompted respondents to think about the target constructs. However, the interview data also show that there are nuances in respondents' beliefs about scientific knowledge which were not captured by the written questionnaire.
International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2018
A team of researchers at two institutions revised and analyzed a battery of instruments to assess the Critical Dispositions (InTASC, 2013) required in the CAEP (2016a) accreditation standards for teacher education programs. This research presents initial findings for the revised version updating previous results from validity and reliability studies of the first version (Wilkerson & Lang, 2011). An in-depth study of one of the instruments, now in two forms, is presented. Version 2 was necessary because the standards providing an operational definition of the construct measured were updated. In this study, data were collected from teacher education students, in service teachers, and preschool teachers (Form A = 1072; Form B = 372). Item analysis using Rasch modeling, results of a qualitative review of specific teacher candidates across multiple measures, and student/program improvement uses are discussed. The results indicated that evidence of validity and reliability is maintained in the new version, and student disposition measures were diagnostic and logical for students of different training and experience.
Educational Attitudes Scale: A Validity Study. Occasional Paper No. 33
1986
The Educational Attitudes Scale (EAS), which covers four important aspects of a teacher's school life (children, discipline, methods, and administration), was completed by 80 experienced secondary school teachers. The EAS includes 20 Likert-type items with five response categories (I agree very much, I agree on the whole, Uncertain, I disagree on the whole, and I disagree very much). The teachers also responded to scales measuring Teacher Locus of Control; Dogmatism; Machiavellianism; and other school-related attitudes concerning change, responsibility, and teaching behaviors. The results indicate that: (1) the items are effective; (2) the scale has a reasonably high reliability; and 0) the four aspects are rather independent of each other. The EAS shows convergent and discriminant validities. Five tables summarize study data. (SLD) ABSTRACT The Educational Attitudes Scale (EA Scale), which covers four important aspects of a teacher's school life (children, discipline, methods, and administration) was completed by eighty experienced secondary school teacherq.
Construction and study of validity evidence of the Teaching Assessment Scale
Revista Brasileira de Educação, 2017
The objective of this study was to present the construction of the Teaching Assessment Scale (TAS) and the validity evidence for it. This scale was developed through a literature review and interviews with graduate students. The evidence for content validity of the TAS was evaluated by ten referees, and this was followed by the analysis of the evidence for construct validity and reliability. The tetrachoric correlation matrix was submitted for exploratory factorial analysis, and the Hull method was used to decide the number of dimensions to be retained. Item response theory (IRT) analysis was performed using the rating scale model with the result that seven items needed to be excluded. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index and Bartlett' s Test of Sphericity indicated that the polychoric correlation matrix was factorable. The Hull method suggested the retention of a factor, with the eigenvalue of 15.49. The factor' s reliability measures were α = 0.96 and ω = 0.95. As a result, the TAS is considered helpful in evaluating higher education teaching methods in Brazil.