Fostering Epistemological Beliefs and Conceptual Change

This study investigated the role of knowledge building in fostering conceptual and epistemological changes in the context of Grade 10 chemistry students collaborating on Knowledge Forum in a Hong Kong classroom. Participants were 40 experimental and 39 comparison students experiencing knowledge building and traditional instruction respectively. Students engaging in knowledge building posed questions, generated theories and hypothesis, constructed explanations, and revised their theories mediated by Knowledge Forum. Various measures were collected at pre and posttests including epistemological beliefs, conceptualchange questions and online discourse and reflection. Results indicated that experimental students made more gains than comparison students on both conceptual and epistemological measures. Epistemological beliefs and knowledge-building reflection were correlated with science learning; regression analyses indicated that knowledge-building reflection and inquiry contributed to conceptual change over and above prior knowledge and epistemological beliefs. Implications of knowledge building for developing epistemological beliefs and metaconceptual awareness for conceptual change are discussed.