Developing Epistemic Cognition About Social Knowledge Through Small-Group Discussions

• In Event: Learning Context and Discourse

Abstract

This study examined whether early adolescents’ epistemic cognition (EC) about social knowledge could be developed through small group argumentative discussions, and whether EC displayed in the discussions differed by students’ ability to construct diverse social knowledge in an essay task. Epistemic Network Analyses and Generalized Hierarchical Linear Modeling based on fifth-grade students’ 36 discussions revealed growth patterns in their epistemic cognition: students demonstrated more advanced level of EC, and group networks of EC became more connected across recurrent discussions. Individual students who improved most or least in their social reasoning demonstrated different patterns of EC networks. The findings provide insight into how epistemic cognition evolves through recurrent small-group instructions.

Authors

• Seung Yon Ha, The Ohio State University

• Tzu-Jung Lin, The Ohio State University

• Saetbyul Kim, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Michael Glassman, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Trent Cash, The Ohio State University