Developmental Trajectories of Elementary Students' Epistemological Beliefs in Science: Focus on Grade and Gender

Abstract

This study aimed to quantitatively investigate the developmental disparities and interaction effects of grade and gender on elementary school students' epistemological beliefs in science from the 3rd to 6th grades. To address the limitations of prior research, this study utilized a refined testing instrument consisting of 18 multiple-choice items across three sub-domains—the changeability of scientific knowledge, the source of scientific knowledge, and the role of experiments—while completely excluding open-ended questions that impose a high cognitive burden on young learners. Data from a total of 167 students, excluding insincere responses, were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and independent samples t-tests. The results are as follows. First, the overall mean score of elementary students' epistemological beliefs in science showed a statistically significant developmental trend as grade levels increased. Specifically, successive grade-by-grade comparisons demonstrated that the growth of these beliefs does not follow a gradual or linear path; rather, it exhibits a distinct "developmental turning point" concentrated within the single transition period from the 4th to the 5th grade. Second, sub-domain analysis revealed that only the "changeability of scientific knowledge" domain showed significant developmental differences by grade. In contrast, the "source of scientific knowledge" and "the role of experiments" domains—which correspond to the dimension of the nature of knowing—remained stagnant, forming a statistical "plateau stage" across all grade levels. Third, no significant main effect of gender or interaction effect between grade and gender was observed. Both male and female students shared a virtually identical developmental trajectory characterized by a mutual surge during the 4th-to-5th grade transition and convergence in higher grades, within a universal context of educational and cognitive maturation. These findings provide valuable baseline data for establishing specific sequencing criteria for Nature of Science (NOS) elements by grade in future science curriculum revisions. Furthermore, they suggest a crucial direction for developing teacher education and instructional modules centered on "science practices," where learners actively verify and argue knowledge to enhance their understanding of the nature of knowing.