An Investigation of the Schommers’ Epistemological Beliefs Model in Terms of Gender and Academic Success: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

It was determined that epistemological beliefs showed a significant difference by gender in some studies conducted in Turkey using Schommers’ Epistemological Beliefs Model while there was no significant difference in some other studies. Similarly, in some studies, epistemological beliefs showed a significant difference by academic success; however, some studies did not show a significant difference. For this reason, the aim of this research is to determine whether epistemological beliefs show a significant difference by gender and also to find out the relationship between epistemological beliefs and academic success through meta-analysis. Therefore, it is expected that this study will help overcome this conflict in the field. For this purpose, 37 studies that were carried out in Turkey between the years 2005-2017 and meet the criteria for inclusion were analyzed by meta-analysis method. 36 studies were included to determine whether epistemological beliefs differ significantly by gender and 7 studies were used to determine the relationship of epistemological beliefs to academic success. Cohen's d was employed as the effect size index to examine epistemological beliefs by gender and Pearson’s r was used to reveal relationship of epistemological beliefs with the academic success. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine the relationship of the epistemological belief sub-factors with the academic success and also whether there was a significant difference according to gender. The effect sizes calculated for gender and success were combined according to the random effects model since the studies were collected from the literature. As a result of the combination, the overall effect size (d=-0.052) calculated for gender was “weak” in favor of men; however, it showed a significant effect (p<.05). This result indicates that men's epistemological belief total scores are higher than women; therefore, women's epistemological beliefs are more developed than men. It was found in subgroup analysis that women's beliefs that learning depends on effort and ability are more developed than men. The overall effect size calculated for success is positive and “low” (r=0.056); but not significant (p>.05). In subgroup analysis, the effect size on the relationship between the epistemological beliefs and success was found not to be significant (p>.05). As a result of the heterogeneity test (Q>χ2, p<.05) to determine the presence and degree of the heterogeneity between the effect sizes calculated for gender and success, it was determined that there was a high level of heterogeneity. As a result of the categorical moderator analysis conducted to reveal the independent variables contributing to this heterogeneity, it was found out that the variables chosen for both gender (type of publication, study model, sample group, sampling method, type of scale) and success (type of publication, sampling method) were not significant (p>.05).