Conceptual change and self-efficacy for accuracy of knowledge and reconstruction of knowledge

Abstract

The present research examined how conceptual change may be affected by the 2 aspects of self-efficacy that were proposed by Pintrich, Marx, & Boyle (1993): self-efficacy for accuracy of knowledge and self-efficacy for reconstruction of knowledge. The present study employed 2 types of teaching strategies intended to facilitate conceptual change: (a) a confrontational strategy that presents learners with counter-evidence that conflicts with their prior knowledge, and (b) a conciliatory strategy that presents learners with evidence consistent with their prior knowledge. The participants, junior college and university undergraduate students (N = 135), were given reading material about livestock that used 1 of these 2 strategies. From an analysis of the data, a scale was constructed to assess the 2 aspects of self-efficacy under study. The results from the data analysis were as follows: (a) although the confrontational strategy facilitated more conceptual change, an interaction was observed in which both lower selfefficacy for accuracy of knowledge and higher self-efficacy for reconstruction of knowledge facilitated conceptual change when the confrontational strategy was used, and (b) both types of teaching strategy enhanced both selfefficacy for accuracy of knowledge and self-efficacy for reconstruction of knowledge.