Examining the Role of Epistemic Cognition and Learning Contexts in Influencing Students' Conceptual Learning Gains

• In Event: Motivation and Cognition in Learning and Instruction

Abstract

Previous research suggested students with greater epistemic sophistication achieved better in constructivist learning context than students with less sophisticated epistemic cognition. In this study, I further examined how students with high and low prior epistemic cognition (EC High and Low) benefit differently from different constructivist learning contexts. I found that EC High and Low students did not differ in conceptual learning gains in the constructivist learning context where they made significant epistemic change, while EC High students had more conceptual learning gains than EC Low students in the constructivist learning context where they did not make much epistemic change. It has important implications on how we can make both EC High and Low students benefit from the constructivist learning contexts.

Author

• Feng Lin, Singapore University of Social Sciences