An Investigation of Taiwanese Graduate Students' Beliefs about Scientific Knowledge

Abstract

諾瓦克(Novak)的「人類建構論」(Human Constructivism)指出學習是一種 意義建構的過程，而這意義須包含心理學和哲學認識論的範疇;據此，本研究在 於探討研究生對於科學知識的信念及態度。對於認識論的定義及類別，本研究是 根據努茲保(Nussbaum)對哲學派別的分析、林肯及辜巴(Lincoln & Guba)對後實證 哲學和自然哲學所給的區別、及艾得默生(Edmondson)對邏輯實證主義和建構主 義的描述。本研究設計以問卷調查法為資料收集的工具及以描述性統計分析為資 料分析的方法，這研究較偏重質的分析，以調查結果的描述及闡釋代替假說的測 試。本研究分析研究生對於問卷上與觀察、研究過程、數據資料、研究結果、知 識本質、及科學知識的建構與發展等主題所作的反應，以瞭解他們的科學知識信 念。研究結果指出研究生對於不同的主題會採取不同的立場和信念，因而他們的 科學知識信念常相互衝突而前後不一致。整體而言，在討論與科學知識有關的認 識論議題時，研究生的態度較為中庸，在一些議題上贊成建構論的觀點，但當論 及與實際所從事研究工作相關的議題時，則採取絕對的邏輯實證論觀點。可見邏 輯實證論觀點仍為學校教有及研究單位約主流，不過研究生能以中庸的態度討論 認識論的議題，也說明建構論的觀點漸受注意。

This research, focused on graduate students' beliefs about scientific knowledge, isguided by Novak's "Human Constructivism", which addresses a constructive perspectiveon education with a unity of psychological and epistemological meaning making. Nussbaum's analysis of philosophical perspectives, Lincoln and Cuba's distinctions betweenpostpositivism and naturalism, and Edmondson's categorization of logical positivism andconstructivism form the base for the discussion of epistemological tieliefs in this research. The research design includes a questionnaire survey and the descriptive statisticalanalysis. Its methodology is qualitatively oriented. It relies on descriptive analyses ofsurvey results, rather than hypothesis testing. The students' epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge are revealed throughtheir responses to questions that identify six core factors: observation, inquiry process,data, inquiry results, knowledge, and the development and growth of knowledge, whichare adapted from Edmondson's questionnaire. This research shows that the studentsexpress different epistemological beliefs about different core factors, so their overallepistemological commitments are not consistent. Overall, the students hold moderate positions while discussing epistemological issues,but they adopt a Firmly logical positivist view to deal with the issues relative to their research work. This suggests the dominance of logical positivism in school education andresearch settings. However, that their moderate position on epistemological issues alsoshows their awareness of the constructivist perspective.