Examining University Students' Conceptions of Inquiry: Relationship to Epistemic Beliefs

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Division C Section 2a Poster Session 3: Cognitive Processes

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine undergraduate students’ conceptions of inquiry and their relationship to epistemic beliefs. Data were obtained from 212 (166 female; 46 male) students using an open ended questionnaire to examine their conceptions of inquiry and Schommer’s epistemological beliefs questionnaire to group participants as naïve or sophisticated in their epistemic beliefs. Data analyses revealed that students with sophisticated epistemic beliefs had multidimensional conceptions of inquiry and provided conceptually rich definitions. Students with naïve beliefs, on the other hand, revealed more simplistic and indistinct definitions of inquiry and described it either with few details or stated that they did not know about it. The finding has implications for efforts in enhancing students’ conceptions.

Authors

• Dawit Asrat Getahun, Bahir Dar University

• Alenoush Saroyan, McGill University

• Mark W. Aulls, McGill University