EFL Students’ Epistemological Beliefs and Use of Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies in Bahir Dar University

International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research

مقاله 5، دوره 7، شماره 26، آذر 2019، صفحه 69-83   

نوع مقاله: Research Papers

نویسنده

Mulugeta Teka Kahsay^*

Department of English Language & Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

چکیده

This study attempted to investigate the level of EFL learners’ epistemological beliefs and learning strategy use as well as the contribution of epistemological beliefs to their learning strategy use in Bahir Dar University. Comprehensively selected 136 EFL students at the Faculty of Humanities of Bahir Dar University responded to modified versions of Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire and Motivated and Self Directed Learning Strategies Questionnaire. The descriptive statistics showed that the participants generally held a low level of epistemological beliefs (mean scores ranging from 2.49 to 3.09 on a five-point scale) and they moderately used cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies (mean scores ranging from 3.29 to 3.82 on a five-point scale). The results of multivariate analysis indicated there was a significant multivariate effect of epistemological beliefs on the various dimensions of learning strategies, contributing 15.8% of the variance. The follow-up univariate analyses also showed the difference in epistemological beliefs had a significant impact on their use of all dimensions of learning strategies except rehearsal strategy. This means that EFL students with sophisticated epistemological beliefs, compared to their counterparts with naïve beliefs, are more strategic in handling learning situations through deploying appropriate higher order cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Epistemology؛ beliefs؛ cognitive؛ Metacognitive؛ strategy؛ Use

مراجع

                        Alemayehu Debebe. (2014). Children’s access to primary education in Dasenech and Nyangatom pastoralist communities of South Omo: Prospects, challenges and policy implications. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Addis Ababa University. 

Alexander, P. A. (2001). In the year 2020: Envisioning the possibilities for educational psychology. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84, 261-271.

Alexander, P.A., & Dochy, F. (1995). Conceptions of knowledge and beliefs: A comparison across varying cultural and educational communities. American Educational Research Journal, 32, 413–442.

Amlaku Eshete. (2010). Language policies and the role of English in Ethiopia. Paper presented at the 23^rd Annual Conference of IATEFL BESIG, Bielefeld, Germany.

Atlabachew Getaye. (2017) Reading engagement and academic performance: A case of Adama Science and Technology University first year students. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Addis Ababa University.

Boekaerts, M., & Cascallar, E. (2006). How far have we moved toward the integration of theory and practice in self-regulation? Educational Psychology Review, 18, 199–210.

Bråten, I., & Strømsø, H. I. (2005). The relationship between epistemological beliefs, implicit theories of intelligence, and self-regulated learning among Norwegian postsecondary students. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(4), 539–565.

Brownlee, J. Purdie, N. & Boulton- Lewis, G.  (2001). Changing epistemological beliefs in pre-service teacher education students. Teaching in Higher Education, 6 (2), 247- 268.

Chan, K. & Elliott, R.G. (2002). Exploratory study of Hong Kong teacher education students’ epistemological beliefs: Cultural perspectives and implications on beliefs research. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 27(3), 392-414.

Chan, K. (2003, November). Pre-service teachers’ epistemological beliefs and conceptions about teaching and learning: Cultural implications for research in teacher education. Paper presented at the NZARE AARE Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

Dahl, T. I., Bals, M., & Turi, A.-L. (2005). Are students’ beliefs about knowledge and learning associated with their reported use of learning strategies? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 257–273.

Donald, J. G. (2002). Learning to think: Disciplinary perspectives. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Donmoyer, R. (2001). Paradigm talk reconsidered. In V. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (4^th ed.) (174-197). Washington, D.C.: American Education Research Association.

Efklides, A. (2011). Interactions of metacognition with motivation and affect in self-regulated learning: The MASRL model. Educational Psychologist, 46, 6–25.

Endalkachew Jembere. (2017) A Study on the efficacy of the phonics approaches to improve the initial literacy skills of primary school children: The case of grade one children in Hawassa. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Addis Ababa University

                        Girma, Gezahegn. (2003). In-Service English Language Teacher’s Perceptions of the Factors that   Influence of Group work Activities in ELT Classes. Ethiopian Journal of Education, 21(1), 103-127

                        Guven, M. (2012) Epistemological Beliefs and Metacognitive Strategies of ELT Pre-service Teachers in Distance and Formal Education.Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education. 13(2), 346 - 369

Hammer, D. (2002, April). Epistemological resources. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.

Hammer, D., & Elby, A. (2002). On the form of a personal epistemology. In B. K Hofer, & P. R Pintrich (eds.), Personal epistemology: The psychology of beliefs about knowledge and knowing (169-190).  Mahwah, NJ: .Erlbaum.

Haregewoin Abate. (2008). The effects of communicative grammar on the grammatical accuracy of students‘academic writing: An integrated approach to TEFL. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Addis Ababa University.

Hashweh, M. Z. (1996). Effects of science teachers' epistemological beliefs in teaching. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33, 47-63.

Hofer B. K. & Pintrich, P. R. 2002 (Eds.), Personal epistemology: The psychology of beliefs about knowledge and knowing.  Mahwah, New Jersey: Erlbaum.

Hofer, B. K. & Pintrich, P. R. (1997). The development of epistemological theories: Beliefs about knowledge and knowing and their relation to learning. Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 88-140.

Hofer, B. K. (2000). Dimensionality and disciplinary differences in personal epistemology. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 378-405.

Hofer, B. K. (2001) Personal epistemology research: Implications for learning and instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 13(4), 353-382.

Kardash, C. M. & Howell, K. L. (2000). Effects of epistemological beliefs and topic-specific beliefs on undergraduates/cognitive and strategic processing of dual-positional text. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 524-535.

King, P. M. & Kitchener, K. S. (1994). Developing reflective judgment: Understanding and promoting intellectual growth and critical thinking in adolescents and adults. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Many, J. E.; Howard, F. & Hoge, P. (2002). Epistemology and pre-service teacher education: How beliefs about knowledge affected our students' experiences. English Education, 34(4), 302-322.

Ministry of Education/MoE. (1994). Education and Training Policy. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa: St.George Printing Press.

Ministry of Education/MoE. (2003) A National Framework for Teacher education System Overhaul (TESO) program, policy document. Addis Ababa.

Ministry of Education/MoE. (2015). Education sector development program V (ESDP V): 2015/2016-2019/2020. Addis Ababa: Unpublished Program Document.

Misganaw Solomon. (2012). The role of private higher education institutions in student readiness for higher education. Proceedings of the 10^th International Conference on Private Higher Education in Africa.

Mori, Y. (1999). Epistemological beliefs and language learning beliefs: What do language learners believe about their learning? Language Learning, 49 (3), 377-415.

National Organization for Examination. (2008). Ethiopian second national learning assessment of grade eight students.Minstry of Education. Addis Ababa.

Olaussen, B. S. & Braten, I. (2003, August). Profiling individual differences in students' personal interest, mastery goal orientation, task value, and perceived self-efficacy in different academic contexts. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction, Padova, Italy.

Perry, W.G. (1981). Cognitive and ethical growth: The making of meaning. In A.W. Chickering (Ed.), The modern American college (76–116). San Francisco: Jossey-Boss.

Pintrich, P.R.; Smith, D.; Garcia, T. & McKeachie, W. J. (1993). Reliability and predictive validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53, 801-813.

Qian, G. & Alvermann, D. (2000). Relationship between epistemological beliefs and conceptual change learning. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 16, 59-74.

Rubin, A. (2010). Statistics for evidence-based practice and evaluation. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Schmidt, F., & Hunter, J. (1999). Theory testing and measurement error. Intelligence, 27, 183-198.

Schommer, M. (1990). Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 498- 504.

Schommer, M. (1994). Synthesizing epistemological belief of research: Tentative understandings and provocative confusions. Educational Psychology Review, 6(4), 293-319.

Schommer, M. (1998). The influence of age and education on epistemological beliefs. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 68, 551-562.

Schommer, M., & Walker, K. (1995). Are epistemological beliefs similar across domains? Journal of Educational Psychology, 87, 424–432.

Schommer-Aikins, M. (2004). Explaining the Epistemological belief system: Introducing the embedded systemic model and coordinated research approach. Educational Psychologist, 39 (1), 19-29.

Schreiber, J. B. & Shinn, D. (2003) Epistemological beliefs of community college students and their learning processes. Community CollegeJournal of Research and Practice, 27 (8), 699-709.

Schreiber, J. B. (2004, April). A path analytic model of the effect of epistemological beliefs and retrieval tactics on test performance. Paper presented at the annual meeting for the American Educational Research Association. San Diego, CA.

Sing, C. C. & Khine M.S. (2008). Assessing the epistemological and pedagogical beliefs among pre-service teachers in Singapore In M. S. Khine (ed.), Knowing, knowledge and beliefs: Epistemological studies across diverse cultures. (287 – 299)  Perth: Springer Science + Business Media B.V.

Strange, C.C., & King, P.M. (1981). Intellectual development and its relationship to maturation during the college years. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 2, 281–295.

                        Tekeste Negash (2006). Education in Ethiopia: From Crisis to the Brink of Collapse. Elanders Gotab AB: Stockholm.

Tsai, C. (2000). The Effects of STS-oriented instruction on female tenth graders' cognitive structure outcomes and the role of student scientific epistemological beliefs. International Journal of Science Education, 22(10), 1099-1115.

Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social-cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation: Theory, research, and applications (13–39). San Diego, CA: Academic.