title: Epistemological development and judgments and reasoning about teaching methods.
abstract: Children's, adolescents', and adults' (N = 96 7-8, 10-11, and 13-14-year-olds and university students) epistemological development and its relation to judgments and reasoning about teaching methods was examined. The domain (scientific or moral), nature of the topic (controversial or noncontroversial), and teaching method (direct instruction by lectures versus class discussions) were systematically varied. Epistemological development was assessed in the aesthetics, values, and physical truth domains. All participants took the domain, nature of the topic, and teaching method into consideration in ways that showed age-related variations. Epistemological development in the value domain alone was predictive of preferences for class discussions and a critical perspective on teacher-centered direct instruction, even when age was controlled in the analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Helwig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult