ERIC Number: EJ776874
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Nov
Pages: 26
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4308
EISSN: N/A
Coordination of Theory and Evidence: Effect of Epistemological Theories on Students' Laboratory Practice
Havdala, Rachel; Ashkenazi, Guy
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, v44 n8 p1134-1159 Oct 2007
Students' views about science were correlated with their approaches to lab practice. Three distinct cases are discussed in detail: empiricist-oriented, rationalist-oriented, and constructivist-oriented students. A coherent epistemological theory was constructed for each case, by considering the different degrees of certainty and confidence each student attributed to theoretical versus experimental knowledge in science. These theories could explain the difference between the students' methods of preparation for the lab session and their approaches to writing the lab report. It was shown that overconfidence in one type of knowledge led to oversimplification of the relation between theory and evidence. Findings suggest that epistemological theories play a crucial role in determining whether and how students coordinate theory and empirical evidence in their lab practice. Inspecting and correcting students' lab reports in accordance with these findings can offer an easy way to identify students' epistemological theories and to provide appropriate feedback. Interview Protocol is appended. (Contains 1 note and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Student Attitudes, Theory Practice Relationship, Correlation, Epistemology, Laboratory Training, Science Interests, Chemistry, Interviews, Student Surveys, Undergraduate Students, Inferences, Constructivism (Learning), Abstract Reasoning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A