Epistemic dimensions of students’ mathematics-related belief systems (original) (raw)
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The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 2010
College students' epistemological belief in their academic performance of mathematics has been documented and is receiving increased attention. However, to what extent and in what ways problem solvers' beliefs about the nature of mathematical knowledge and thinking impact their performances and behavior is not clear and deserves further investigation. The present study investigated how Taiwanese college students espousing unlike epistemological beliefs in mathematics performed differently within different contexts, and in what contexts these college students' epistemological beliefs were consistent with their performances and behavior. Results yielded from the survey of students' performances on standardized tests, semi-open problems, and their behaviors on pattern-finding tasks, suggest mixed consequences. It appears that beliefs played a more reliable role within the well-structured context but lost its credibility in non-standardized tasks.
PLOS ONE, 2019
This paper aims to clarify the inconsistencies present in the field of student mathematicsrelated beliefs. Despite the general agreement about the important role that beliefs play in the learning of mathematics, the study of student mathematics-related beliefs has resulted in a body of uncoordinated research. The lack of consensus on defining and classifying beliefs has generated much confusing terminology, preventing a consistent conceptualization of the phenomenon. To identify the problem underlying existing inconsistencies, we have undertaken a systematic review of the literature to analyse the belief conceptualisations proposed by the most cited authors in this field of research. Our analysis suggests that authors often fail to conceptualise beliefs in four important ways: existing theories related to the phenomenon under research are normally not considered; definitions are often too broad and do not clearly confine the construct under evaluation; and existing beliefs subconstructs are rarely defined and thus not explicitly distinguished. Our study has also revealed that some of the scales developed to measure the belief constructs lack of content and internal validity. We believe that these findings open new lines of research that may help to clarify the field of student mathematics-related beliefs.
The Journal of Experimental Education, 2015
The purpose of this study was to empirically scrutinize Muis, Bendixen, and Haerle's (2006) Theory of Integrated Domains in Epistemology framework. Secondary, college, undergraduate, and graduate students completed self-reports designed to measure their domain-specific and domain-general epistemic beliefs for mathematics, psychology, and general knowledge, respectively. Following completion of the questionnaires, students participated in an interview that further probed their epistemic beliefs to better understand the nature of their beliefs. Results from our study suggest students' beliefs across domains are somewhat related but still unique to that particular domain. Moreover, analysis of the interviews revealed that students espouse general knowledge beliefs and domain-specific beliefs. Interestingly, students expressed absolutist beliefs about mathematics, but were multiplist in their stances toward psychology and general knowledge. When asked to provide examples that came to mind when reporting their beliefs, students frequently drew on their classroom experiences to explain why they held specific beliefs. We discuss theoretical implications.
Educational Studies in Mathematics, 2009
The purpose of this study was to explore the views of students enrolled at a small United States Midwestern community college toward learning mathematics, and to examine the relationship between student beliefs about mathematic learning and educational experiences with mathematics using Q methodology and open-ended response prompts. Schommer’s (Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 495–504, 1990) multidimensional theory of personal epistemology provided the structural framework for the development of 36 domain specific Q sort statements. Analysis of the data revealed three distinct but related views of learning mathematic which were labeled Active Learners, Skeptical Learners, and Confident Learners. Chi-square tests of independence revealed no significant differences based on gender. Additionally, there was no evidence for differences based on level of mathematics completed, age, or college hours accumulated. Student’s previous experiences in instructional environments, however, were closely associated with beliefs. Results are discussed in view of the implications for establishing learning environments and considerations in implementing Standards-based curricula in higher education.
Students' Mathematics-Related Belief Systems: Design and Analysis of a Questionnaire
2003
A survey study was conducted to investigate the nature of students' mathematics-related belief systems. A mathematics-related beliefs questionnaire was developed and administered to 365 Flemish junior high school students to gather data to identify and analyze the different components of students' belief systems. The focus was on the structure of the belief systems and the relevant categories of beliefs and the ways they relate to each other. Analysis of the nature and structure of beliefs and belief systems points to the social context, the self, and the object to which the beliefs relate as constitutive of the development and functioning of the systems. The developed questionnaire, the Mathematics-Related Beliefs Questionnaire contained 58 items scored on a 6-point scale. The four-factor model resulting from a principal components analysis of survey responses shows that there is some empirical ground for the proposed structure of students' mathematics-related beliefs. Factor 1 refers to the social context, factor 2 to certain beliefs about the self. Factors 3 and 4 related to beliefs about mathematics. Many hypothesized subcategories are not validated or do not relate to each other in the expected ways. There is, however, clearevidence for the relevance of students' beliefs about the self in relation to mathematics and the conceptions of the competence in mathematics and their views on the personal relevance of mathematics. (Contains 19 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Waikato Journal of Education
This study explored students’ mathematics-related beliefs and the relationship between the beliefs and their strategies for solving non-routine mathematical problems. The study was guided by Daskalogianni and Simpson’s 2001 belief systems categories and strategies for non-routine mathematical problems. The participants were 625 grade 11 students from five high schools in Tshwane North District, Gauteng province of South Africa. Data were collected using a mathematics beliefs questionnaire, a mathematics problem-solving test and interview. Quantitative and qualitative research techniques were used for data analysis. It was found that the students held all the three belief systems (utilitarian, systematic and exploratory) at different degrees of intensity and the belief systems and strategies for problem-solving had a weak positive linear relationship, and there were no statistically significant differences among mean scores of the students holding systematic, exploratory and utilitar...