Teachers’ Epistemic Cognition In Situ: Evidence from Classroom Assessment

Publication date: Available online 9 January 2020Source: Contemporary Educational PsychologyAuthor(s): Nicole Barnes, Helenrose Fives, Sirine Mabrouk-Hattab, Kit SaizdeLaMoraAbstractAssessment tasks require the coordination of multiple knowledge-related goals for various audiences, and therefore provide an authentic context to observe teachers’ epistemic cognition in practice. In this instrumental case study, we investigated seven, fifth grade English Language Arts teachers’ epistemic cognition as they evaluated students’ classroom assessments. Our analyses revealed that the components of epistemic cognition identified in the literature emerged in these teachers’ assessment processes. Moreover, we found evidence that teachers’ epistemic cognition was iterative and nuanced, and required shifts in aims and reliable processes. This resulted in teachers forming new kinds of “epistemic matters” and questions beyond those ideas noted in existing models of epistemic cognition. Significance and implications are discussed.

Source: Contemporary Educational Psychology - January 10, 2020 Category: Child Development Source Type: research