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RESEARCH PAPER
An Evaluation of Undergraduate South African Physics Students’ Epistemological Beliefs When Solving Physics Problems
1
University of Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA
Publication date: 2020-02-21
EURASIA J. Math., Sci Tech. Ed 2020;16(5):em1844
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Students’ epistemological beliefs are beliefs centred on one’s own learning and knowledge. Such
beliefs play a major role in the way one approaches problem solving in physics. The intention of
this study is to evaluate such beliefs amongst undergraduate physics students. An analytical tool
developed by Hammer has been used as a criterion for measuring such beliefs whilst engaged in
physics problem solving. A case study of seven students with varying academic abilities and
genders were chosen for this study. Each of these students’ epistemological beliefs were examined
through a clinical interview when they were presented with three different problems to be solved.
To achieve a more holistic characterisation of the students’ epistemological beliefs, a second
person independently, evaluated their beliefs as well. The results reveal that students have
personal epistemological beliefs that are different from each other and with respect to each of
the problems, they solved.
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| eISSN: | 1305-8223 |
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