High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related Study
This study belongs to assessment-related research and aimed to investigate Finnish high-school students’ (<i>n</i> = 211) topic-specific epistemic beliefs about climate change and whether the Norwegian topic-specific epistemic beliefs questionnaire (TSEBQ) was also valid among Finnish re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/8/440 |
| _version_ | 1797524132290625536 |
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| author | Eija Yli-Panula Eero Laakkonen Marja Vauras |
| author_facet | Eija Yli-Panula Eero Laakkonen Marja Vauras |
| author_sort | Eija Yli-Panula |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study belongs to assessment-related research and aimed to investigate Finnish high-school students’ (<i>n</i> = 211) topic-specific epistemic beliefs about climate change and whether the Norwegian topic-specific epistemic beliefs questionnaire (TSEBQ) was also valid among Finnish respondents. Thus, research data were not only derived from the TSEBQ but also from topic knowledge tests and students’ views on their favorite school subjects and interest in science subjects. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the statistical model, originally based on 49 questions, was congruent with the Norwegian four-factor model (Certification, Source, Justification and Simplicity). However, according to the reliability analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the performance of the Simplicity factor was unclear. In CFA, the three-factor structure (without Simplicity) was supported. The effects of topic knowledge, topic interest and gender on the TSEBQ factors were examined by using hierarchical regression analysis (HRA). The TSEBQ was shown to be a reliable tool for measuring the topic-specific epistemic beliefs of Finnish students. More specifically, the results support the claim that topic-specific epistemic beliefs can be educationally and culturally bound. HRA showed that students’ topic knowledge in chemistry and biology was related to certainty of knowledge and justification for knowing. Moreover, female students performed significantly better in topic knowledge and more often planned to pursue a science career in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:53:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2847d2cce5e4a00af8fa9ea9795ae2f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:53:00Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2847d2cce5e4a00af8fa9ea9795ae2f2023-11-22T07:23:37ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022021-08-0111844010.3390/educsci11080440High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related StudyEija Yli-Panula0Eero Laakkonen1Marja Vauras2Department of Teacher Education, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, FinlandDepartment of Teacher Education, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, FinlandDepartment of Teacher Education, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, FinlandThis study belongs to assessment-related research and aimed to investigate Finnish high-school students’ (<i>n</i> = 211) topic-specific epistemic beliefs about climate change and whether the Norwegian topic-specific epistemic beliefs questionnaire (TSEBQ) was also valid among Finnish respondents. Thus, research data were not only derived from the TSEBQ but also from topic knowledge tests and students’ views on their favorite school subjects and interest in science subjects. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the statistical model, originally based on 49 questions, was congruent with the Norwegian four-factor model (Certification, Source, Justification and Simplicity). However, according to the reliability analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the performance of the Simplicity factor was unclear. In CFA, the three-factor structure (without Simplicity) was supported. The effects of topic knowledge, topic interest and gender on the TSEBQ factors were examined by using hierarchical regression analysis (HRA). The TSEBQ was shown to be a reliable tool for measuring the topic-specific epistemic beliefs of Finnish students. More specifically, the results support the claim that topic-specific epistemic beliefs can be educationally and culturally bound. HRA showed that students’ topic knowledge in chemistry and biology was related to certainty of knowledge and justification for knowing. Moreover, female students performed significantly better in topic knowledge and more often planned to pursue a science career in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/8/440climate changefactor analysisFinnish high-school studentsinterest in sciencetopic knowledgetopic-specific epistemic beliefs |
| spellingShingle | Eija Yli-Panula Eero Laakkonen Marja Vauras High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related Study Education Sciences climate change factor analysis Finnish high-school students interest in science topic knowledge topic-specific epistemic beliefs |
| title | High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related Study |
| title_full | High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related Study |
| title_fullStr | High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related Study |
| title_short | High-School Students’ Topic-Specific Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change: An Assessment-Related Study |
| title_sort | high school students topic specific epistemic beliefs about climate change an assessment related study |
| topic | climate change factor analysis Finnish high-school students interest in science topic knowledge topic-specific epistemic beliefs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/8/440 |
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