Students' Metacognition and Personal Epistemology: View on Family

摘要

Personal epistemology refers to personal theories of knowledge and how knowledge is justified. The trajectory of intellectual and moral development proceeds in three major stages. Firstly, simplistic or black and white thinking; secondly, relativistic thinking which considers different perspectives as equally valid; and finally, the attainment of evaluative thinking, which is characterized by a commitment to a particular standpoint that organizes other possible perspectives. Apart from these developmental characteristics, current studies have emphasized the multi-dimensionality of personal epistemology. Recently, as these two features have become reconciled, proponents have stressed the need to relate epistemological development to constructs such as metacognition, which is deemed a pre-requisite for epistemological sophistication. In response to the need for concurrently studying metacognition and personal epistemology, this study investigates the dimensions of personal epistemology and metacognition of students on a philosophy course about the family offered within a liberal education program at a University in Metro Manila, Philippines. There were at least 13 respondents who enrolled during the second semester of school year 2017-2018. The study utilized pre- and post-test course evaluations to measure the students' metacognitive level. Reported changes versus the actual discrepant answers were then compared and the results tabulated. The study also used an actual assessment of students' learning to measure dimensions of personal epistemology. The students' reasoning in the final exam, which required them to express their personal beliefs or manifesto, was thematically analyzed using the personal epistemology dimensions' framework, tabulated, and then compared with their other scores. The results suggested that most students (11 out of 13) failed to identify the exact topics or issues where their views had changed. However, the students' awareness of their changing views about selected topics could serve as an indicator of the magnitude of their learning. Some of these students even declared a personal commitment to transcendent values; which suggested that they had reached the most sophisticated level of personal epistemology through taking the course.