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’ (n = 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, re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education sciences 2021-08, Vol.11 (8), p.440
Main Authors: Yli-Panula, Eija, Laakkonen, Eero, Vauras, Marja
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beliefs
Climate
Climate change
Comparative Analysis
Epistemology
factor analysis
Finnish high-school students
Foreign Countries
Gender Differences
High School Students
interest in science
Knowledge Level
Learning Processes
Learning Strategies
Science
Science Instruction
Science Interests
Student Attitudes
Student Interests
Students
Test Reliability
Test Validity
Thinking Skills
topic knowledge
topic-specific epistemic beliefs
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Summary:This study belongs to assessment-related research and aimed to investigate Finnish high-school students’ (n = 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.
ISSN:2227-7102
2227-7102
DOI:10.3390/educsci11080440