ERIC Number: EJ820042
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Dec
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-5698
EISSN: N/A
Teacher Views about Constructivist Instruction and Personal Epistemology: A National Study in Taiwan
Yang, Fang-Ying; Chang, Chun-Yuan; Hsu, Ying-Shou
Educational Studies, v34 n5 p527-542 Dec 2008
This study investigated the views about constructivist instruction and personal epistemology of the secondary earth science teachers in Taiwan. Participants were assessed through a paper-and-pencil survey and a "Learning environment preference questionnaire" (LEP) designed to explore personal epistemology. On a five-point Likert scale, teachers, on average, showed a neutral agreement on constructivist instruction. The content analysis suggested that teachers held alternative views about the nature of the constructivist instruction. LEP scores were found to be statistically associated with gender, education, current teaching level and years of teaching; the score distribution indicated that most teachers had not developed a constructivist-compatible epistemology. By one-way ANOVA, it was suggested that views about the constructivist instruction were aligned with personal epistemology. (Contains 8 tables.)
Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning), Earth Science, Likert Scales, Foreign Countries, Content Analysis, Science Teachers, Epistemology, Statistical Analysis, Beliefs, Science Education, Educational Change, Metacognition, Learning Activities
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Taiwan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A