Normative Data From Australian University Students on Schommer's (1990) Epistemological Questionnaire.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to produce normative data for an Australian sample on Schommer's (1990) Epistemological Questionnaire [Schommer, M. (1990). Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 498-504]. The original questionnaire was administered to a small number of participants and feedback was sought. A revised version of the Epistemological Questionnaire was then developed and a draft was sent to Schommer for comments. A sample of 150 Australian university students was collected using the revised version of the Epistemological Questionnaire. The results suggest that there are four similar underlying factors comprising beliefs in (1) inability to learn to learn, and success is not related to hard work, (2) learning is innate, quick, and one-step process, (3) seeking simple answer and avoid ambiguity and integration of knowledge, and (4) certainty of knowledge, dependence on the authority and reluctance to criticise it. The implication of these findings from an Australian sample may suggest that epistemological beliefs among Australian university students are similar to those of the American students. With a slight modification, Schommer's (1990) Epistemological Questionnaire serves as an effective tool to assess students' beliefs regarding learning and the nature of knowledge.