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Applying the Theory of an Epistemological Belief System to the Investigation of Students’ and Professors’ Mathematical Beliefs

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Knowing, Knowledge and Beliefs

Abstract

This is an investigation of university students’ beliefs about the nature of mathematical knowledge and learning. Twenty undergraduates and four mathematicians were asked to describe their beliefs using analogies and percentages. Comparisons between groups revealed that students were somewhat similar to mathematicians in beliefs about the control and speed of learning, and the source of knowledge. Students were dissimilar to mathematicians in beliefs about the structure, certainty, and justification of knowledge. Students who believed mathematical knowledge is a linear and unchanging, reported using superficial study habits.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wichita State University, Kansas, USA

    Marlene Schommer-Aikins

Authors
  1. Marlene Schommer-Aikins
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Murdoch University, Perth, Australia

    Myint Swe Khine

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Schommer-Aikins, M. (2008). Applying the Theory of an Epistemological Belief System to the Investigation of Students’ and Professors’ Mathematical Beliefs. In: Khine, M.S. (eds) Knowing, Knowledge and Beliefs. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6596-5_15

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