Preservice teachers' beliefs about learning and knowledge

Abstract

This study investigated the structure of beliefs about learning and knowledge held by 279 preservice students entering a faculty of education. The students responded to 80 statements by rating their agreement or disagreement on a five-point Likert scale. A factor analysis revealed 10factors: Discovery Learning, Maturation, Easy Learning, Teaching as Transmission, Metacognition, Regulation, Emotion in Learning, Individualism, Relativism, and Cognitive Processes. These factors were nearly orthogonal with one another. Most students endorsed a view of learning that included both constructivist and transmission-oriented themes. Implications for teacher education are discussed.