The University Students ' Epistemological Beliefs About Construction And Modification Of Knowledge

Moving on, the author explained that the concept of epistemology is a “system of knowing” instead of simply “way of knowing”. Epistemology include both inner logic and outer validity. Author Billings explained this by describing the difference between “literature” and “folklore”. The literatures written by the minorities are very likely to be identified as the “folklore” category as they are always seen to be less talented than the whites, and the society naturally downgrade their

8. In exploring the certainty with which people hold their beliefs a researcher proposes that those with more information about the topic will be more certain about their belief about that topic. Half of the participants are given 20 facts about a topic and are asked about their belief about that topic. The other half of the participants are given 5 facts about a topic and are asked about the strength of their belief about that topic.

According to Rayner (2011, p. 258), epistemological structures reflects academic values, beliefs and idea of knowledge. They are used by researchers to interpret and re-interpret domain discipline. Knowledge acquisition can be sourced through perception, introspection, reason, testimony and memory (Steup, 2005). Old school researchers think of epistemology as the science of testing hypothesis. This traditional way proposes that researchers known as empiricist should first collect information then propose hypothesis, and then test the hypothesis objectively using statistical data. However, epistemology is about different ways of inquiring into the nature of the physical and the social worlds. And the result of the debates between the different led to the above mentioned views of social science research: positivism and social construction-ism (Easterby-Smith, 2012, p. 22).

Proper education can bring a person something that is known as educational power. Power in an individual’s life that can lead them to eliminate guessing because they now know. That person can now serve and understand

Colleges strive to implement a curriculum that encourages students to think critically as developing this skill is crucial for them to be able to evaluate information from various perspectives through questioning to arrive at a conclusion. Since applying the familiar to the unfamiliar, analyzing situations from different points of views and digging under the surface level are skills that require practice to be learned, critical thinking should be tightly weaved into the reading and writing aspects of each course in college. According to The Perry Model of Intellectual and Ethical Development, students begin with dualistic thinking and “generally believe knowledge is certain and unambiguous” (Thoma). This explains how some people are afraid to think critically, because they are stuck with the mindset that there is only a right or wrong answer. As the students advance each stage in the Perry Model, they begin to accept multiple contexts and eventually come to accept the lack of certainty in the world. The need for answers from teachers or authority diminishes, and students realize the need to use complex reasoning to understand the uncertainties of the world instead. Hence, critical thinking skills develop over time, in which teachers act as catalysts for students to step out of their comfort zones. If

What does it mean to be truly educated? Currently, education is based on grade point averages, standardized tests, and the length of completed courses. These are not incorrect ways to measure education through books and lectures, however, these methods do not measure common sense, life experience, or any other knowledge outside of what is taught through a formal mean. I believe that knowledge is best summarized through life experience and how each person absorbs it. Examples of this can be deduced into three age groups: birth – 13, 14 – 40, and 41 – death.

The study of knowledge, or epistemology, contains theoretical methods in which information is learned. Of these methods, there are two that are most widely accepted. Rationalism and empiricism are also the most widely debated methods of knowledge. Rationalism claims that a priori processes and intuition gain knowledge. Rationalism claims that knowledge is innate; but that it varies among humans. At the other end of the spectrum, empiricism claims that knowledge is gained largely by experience, observation, and sensory perception.

For someone to be enlightened by a fact they need to be involved somehow and have their creativity take hold. If someone were to just sit in class, take notes, and listen to the teach for one hour, that student will come out knowing what they just heard, but after they are done with that information they lose it and the knowledge is useless. On the other hand picture a classroom, with student in a circle where you are required to participate and involve yourself in the conversation. Now everyone is hearing all different points of view and they are taking in so much more. When they leave the classroom and move past that information it will still encapsulated in their mind.

In “‘Well Duh!’ – Ten Obvious Truths That We Shouldn’t Be Ignoring”, Alfie Kohn brings attention to the controversies of education and provides examples of his slant on educational practices and policies. The focus of discussion will be on three of the authors’ examples: “knowing a lot of facts doesn’t mean you’re smart”, “students are more likely to learn what they find interesting”, and “students are more likely to succeed in a place where they feel known and cared about.” These examples, from a simplistic standpoint, offer valid educational benefits but, the author fails to account for alternative methods that do not entirely disregard the current educational practices and policies.

Epistemology is how we gain and acquire knowledge. My empiricist epistemological view point is that nothing in the mind was put there without the help of the senses. Everything we know is based on learning from different people, or on our own. Rule books are not just zapped into our heads about how to do things. Every daily task we have in life goes back in time to the first person who thought of the idea. For example the first person to create a car, they would not have created it if they could not see, walk or talk. The person who created the first car would not know the long hours it takes to walk somewhere far away because they would not be able to feel the pain of soreness the day after. They would have never been able to experiment ways to create machinery that would make everyone’s lives easier someday. I’m sure he did not get it right the first time, but he learned through experience. I believe we learn something new every day through our senses, and we will continue to learn things through our senses. I cannot think of anything that

Epistemology can be split into two areas: one being traditional epistemology and the other being naturalized epistemology. The distinction between the two forms of epistemology is that traditional epistemologists accept what they think they know whereas natural epistemologists put what they think they know to empirical tests. The connotation of ‘empirical’ in this context refers to the methodologies of natural science; specifically, putting theories that we believe to know to scientific experimentation to find out if the theory is true. In this essay, I will establish the reasons why naturalized epistemology is a better choice over traditional epistemology.

An educated person is one who’s education surpasses the national average in their respected country. An educated person has the ability and drive to succeed no matter what social and economic background one has. Knowing the reason why being highly educated matters in life, and having a passion to learn. Similarly, to understand what is learned during the process of being educated, take the time to truly comprehend the facts, and the reasons behind the facts. Otherwise they might be forgotten and if so, are you still an educated person? Consider the following methods: the banking concept- where facts are repeated to you and from that are memorized so you can repeat them back, and the problem-posing concept- where ideas are introduced and everyone learns from each other (Freire 144, 147).

Moreover, estimation of epistemic convictions has regularly been figured and accepted in the USA and after that connected in different societies by deciphering existing instruments and assuming comparable element structures. Lately, in any case, research on epistemic convictions and advancement has been extending in its thoroughness, especially with respect to look into in different societies, giving potential difficulties and conceivable extension of existing models.(Hofer, B. K. (2008)

In The New York Times "Room for Debate" topics one presented issue discussed “How to Ensure and Improve Teacher Quality”. Over the years many school district officials worldwide have tried to come up with different procedures and the best protocol to help improve education. Teacher quality has a major influence on how students learn and perceive information being taught. The key ways to improve teacher quality is to Strengthening Candidate Selection and Placement, offer Constructive Feedback/Suggestions, provide professional development, provide adequate resources, and encourage open communication opportunities. For more effective results these are major factors in teacher quality and this essay will prove how these aspects lead to either positive or negative teacher quality in the world.

He asserts, “there cannot, of course, be any rational discussion in a school of this kind” (Popper 1985). Popper then places emphasis on the importance on the ‘rise of tradition,’ meaning a tradition in places of learning that encourages critical discussion and new ideas, perhaps even rewards them. Not only does Popper maintain that this rise of criticism is important, he also states that those being criticized should be tolerant of dissenting view points and seek to understand the opposition rather than rejecting it. Furthermore, Popper states, “the rationalist tradition, the tradition of critical discussion, represents the only practicable way of expanding our knowledge” (Popper 1985). These ideas of critical discussion and critical rationalism essentially serve as the thesis to Popper’s theory. Popper’s reliance on the testability, falsifiability, scientific methodology and accumulating data and theories serve as the main components of Popperism.