Testing the TIDE: Relations Between Teachers’ and Students’ Epistemic Beliefs Across High school, College and University

• In Event: Conceptual Change and Beliefs

Abstract

Six teachers and 196 students participated to explore relations between teachers’ epistemic beliefs about statistics, teaching practices, and their influence on students’ epistemic beliefs, use of learning strategies, motivation, and achievement. Structural equation modeling revealed that teachers’ beliefs predicted students’ beliefs, and that students’ beliefs predicted their use of learning strategies, motivation, and achievement. Qualitative analyses of classroom observations revealed that teachers’ instructional approaches were indicative of their beliefs, but teachers also engaged in approaches that were counter to their expressed beliefs. Analyses of teacher interview data revealed that, in some cases, teachers were not aware of these discrepancies, whereas in other instances teachers noted the difficulties inherent in teaching statistics that limited their ability to enact their expressed beliefs.

Authors

• Krista R. Muis, McGill University

• Michael Joseph Foy, John Abbott College

• Melissa Duffy, McGill University

• Gregory Trevors, McGill University

• John Ranellucci, McGill University

• Xihui Wang, McGill University

• Bogusia Gierus, McGill University