Specificity of epistemic beliefs across school subject domains

Abstract

Based on the theory of integrated domains in epistemology, the question of domain specificity of epistemic beliefs was investigated from a comprehensive perspective. We examined intraindividual differences in epistemic beliefs about the natural, mathematical, social, and linguistic sciences that represented almost the entire spectrum of subjects taught in secondary schools. The sample comprised 196 pre-service teachers who four times filled in an epistemic belief questionnaire, which could capture four dimensions of epistemic beliefs in four school subject domains with sufficient reliability. Regarding the core question of domain specificity of epistemic beliefs, all four domains were found to largely differ from each other on all four epistemic dimensions. These findings were supported by correlational analyses and structural equation modelling. In total, they provide strong evidence for the domain specificity of epistemic beliefs about school subject domains, which raises the demand for a classification system to specify major fields of personal epistemology.HIGHLIGHTS We examined pre-service teachers’ epistemic beliefs about school subject domains. We compared beliefs about the natural, mathematical, social, and linguistic sciences. A questionnaire with four dimensions reliably measured beliefs across domains. All four domains largely differed from each other in all four dimensions. Results provide strong evidence for the domain-specificity of epistemic beliefs.