An analysis of the trajectory of epistemology in education shows that research started with
the work of Piaget, and it was the most important shift in the way epistemology was studied.
Research on personal epistemology shifted from philosophy to psychology. Piaget (1950) made
the point that philosophers studied the nature of knowledge in its current state. Piaget’s work on
genetic epistemology focuses on the fact that we cannot say there is a history of knowledge, and
then we speak about the current state of knowledge. It is with the idea that knowledge is not
static because it is a process that the field of study of epistemology shifted to be a psychological
field of research.
The findings also show that the models which have been developed have the same origin;
that is to say research on epistemology in education is psychological, and thus focuses on the
cognitive and metacognitive processes students go through in knowing. Research on
epistemology is mainly a focus on the knower and the known (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997; Hofer,
2004). The area of research has been extended to be now divided into three broad categories:
First, epistemology was investigated from a developmental perspective (Perry, 1970; Belenky
et. al, 1986; Baxter Magolda, 1992; King & Kitchener, 1994; Kuhn,1995). In the second
category, personal epistemology has been investigated as a system of beliefs (Shommer-Aikins,
2002). The third category deals with new concepts of personal epistemology (Hofer & Pintrich,
1997; Hammer & Elby, 2002). The analysis of the readings show that epistemology in education
has implications in learning and teaching. The aim of this paper is to understand the constructs
related to epistemological development. Thus, the focus is mainly on the different models in this
area of research. The strategy used for the analysis is a review to research that describes the
stages of the development of epistemology in education.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework of this research will be based on epistemology (Perry, 1970;
Belenky , Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986 ; Baxter Magolda, 1992; King & Kitchener,
1994; Shommer-Aikins, 2002; Hofer & Pintrich, 1997; Hammer & Elby, 2002). Epistemology
was first used in philosophy, and then it was introduced by Piaget in education (Hofer, 2000).
Thus, in any field of research epistemology is related to the nature of knowledge, and the way we
acquire it, and most importantly in the process of acquiring this knowledge, some of it becomes
as a strong true belief. After philosophers, educational psychologists (Piaget, 1950; Perry, 1970)
worked on epistemology to understand how kids or students think about learning.
It can be stated that the introduction of epistemology in education started with the work of Piaget
on genetic epistemology. Piaget (1950) makes the point that epistemology has always been the
concern of philosophers, but they have studied knowledge as it is in present. Piaget (1950)
believes that knowledge is in perpetual evolution, so there is no definitive state of knowledge
because it is “a process of continual construction and reorganization” (p.4). Piaget (1950) also
makes the point that the nature of knowledge is best understood when the psychological and
sociological factors are understood. The first goal of investigating epistemology in education is
to find out the way students approach knowledge; as Hofer (2002) states students approach the
learning process into different ways, and this depends on “ whether they view themselves as
passive receptors or active constructors of knowledge” (P.3). The readings on this topic show
that research on epistemology has been divided into three broad categories. First, epistemology
was investigated from a developmental perspective (Perry, 1970; Belenky et. al, 1986; Baxter
Magolda, 1992; King & Kitchener, 1994; Kuhn, 1995). In the second category, personal
epistemology has been investigated as a system of beliefs (Shommer-Aikins, 2002). The third
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category deals with alternative concepts of personal epistemology (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997;
Hammer & Elby, 2002). The aim of reviewing the three categories is to have a deep
understanding of the construct of personal epistemology, how it has been investigated, how the
models overlap. In addition to this, I want to understand the gap of research in this area, and to
be able to select the model that I will use as the theoretical framework in writing my thesis.
Implications for Learning and Teaching
The implications of personal epistemology in learning and teaching have been mainly
established by Perry (1970). Learning is now considered as developmental, which means it is a
cognitive process. According to Perry (1970), the understanding of students’ personal
epistemology promotes building a diverse school community. In instruction, Perry’s scheme can
be used by the teacher to understand how “he can be so differently perceived by various students
in his class” (P.201). In this way, the scheme is a solace to the teacher that “can free his thinking
for a more differentiated address to individual students “where they are”” (P.210).
Research on epistemic beliefs has started with a focus on students’ beliefs, and the
learning implications have been confirmed (Brownlee, Schraw, and Berthelsen, 2011). They
claim that by understanding the way students view knowledge, teachers will help students
become active agents in their own learning. Research has also focused on personal
epistemologies that are activated during the learning process, but little research has focused on
teachers’ epistemic beliefs during the process of teaching (Hofer, 2004; Fives & Buehl, 2008;
Bendixen & Feuch, 2010 ). Drawing from the literature on teachers’ epistemic beliefs, it can be
stated that teachers hold beliefs that guide and influence their actions (Fives & Buehl, 2008). In
fact, these beliefs can be either explicit or implicit. Implicit beliefs contribute the development of
tacit knowledge, and teachers will not be aware of, and thus is rarely activated or evaluated
(Bendixen & Feuch, 2010). When dealing with teachers’ personal epistemology, research
focuses on the way teachers define, construct, justify, and construct knowledge (Hofer, 2002).
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