Gender differences in high school students’ interests in physics

The findings of this study supported the idea that the inventory has satisfactory validity and reliability measures. The inventory contributes to the tools about scientific epistemological beliefs in the literature by suggestion a different way of measurement. This inventory can be used for determine prospective science teachers’ science-specific epistemological beliefs and helps analyzing the association between science-specific epistemological beliefs, and science learning and teaching. Since the studies showed that epistemological beliefs of prospective teachers are associated with their teaching concerns and with their approaches to learning (Boz & Boz, 2014; Taskın Sahin, 2012). Moreover, Erdamar and Alpan (2013) represented that epistemological beliefs of prospective teachers are effective on their teaching practice and problem solving skills. By using the inventory one can also investigate complex interactions between science-specific epistemological beliefs and other educationally important variables.

The findings of this study showed that the prospective science teachers do not have sophisticated beliefs regarding speed of science knowledge acquisition, tentativeness of science knowledge, structure of science knowledge, source of science knowledge and control over science knowledge acquisition. Similar findings were also reported in the previous studies. Liu and Tsai (2008) investigated science-specific epistemological beliefs of college students and their findings showed that students do not believe in tentative knowledge. Olafson and Schraw (2006) found that practicing teachers have mixed beliefs regarding characteristics of knowledge.

Moreover correlational analysis results represented that dimensions of science-specific epistemological beliefs are partially independent due to low correlations of some dimensions with other dimensions. This result supported a multidimensional and partially independent model as Schommer (1990) stated. Futhermore, the theoretical structure of science-specific epistemological beliefs in the literature supported by this finding that dimensions of science-specific epistemological beliefs are partially independent (Deniz, 2011; Hofer, 2000; Tsai &Liu, 2005; Schommer-Aikins, 2002). By considering the independent nature of the dimensions, future researchers can make investigations on science-specific epistemological beliefs of prospective teachers by considering each dimension as a discrete factor.

In conclusion it can be suggested making researcher with more number of the participants by using the inventory might increase reliability values regarding the dimensions. Moreover there is need to conduct further studies with a bigger samples to examine science-specific epistemological beliefs of prospective science teachers in terms of their association with science teaching beliefs, methods and behaviors. Another suggestion is that additional dimensions regarding science-related epistemological beliefs can be studied by using the way suggested in this study.