A Study Of Secondary Student’s Mathematical Epistemological Beliefs And Its Relationship With Mathematical Learning Strategies

As a systematically summarizing of individual’s belief about knowledge,epistemological belief put the emphasis on the knowledge itself and how people gainthe knowledge. Many research findings revealed that students’ epistemological beliefsnot only affect their learning motive, strategy and result of learning, but also heavilyaffect their life-long study. As the beliefs system which effects students’ mathematicalknowledge and study, Mathematical epistemological is considered to be the outlook ofmathematic. Therefore conduct research of students’ mathematical epistemologycould help us to discover cognitive system of the process of students’ learning, andprovide further conduction and reference of teaching activities.This research conducts three parts of study of: formation of the questionnaire ofmathematical epistemological beliefs; the characteristics of secondary students’mathematical epistemological beliefs; and the relations of mathematical learningstrategies. Firstly, self-format the survey of mathematical epistemological beliefs.According to Schommer, the muti-dimensional theory of epistemological beliefs,combined with analysis of documents, formated survey draft of mathematicalepistemological beliefs, and modified based on the feedback after narrowed range andthe opinions of mathematics teachers and specialists, I formated pre-testing survey.Through pre-testing, analysis of discovery factors and analysis of reliability andvalidity, I formated the finalized questionnaire of secondary students’ mathematicalepistemological beliefs which included five dimensions. Secondly, applied this surveyas tool, deeply conducted analysis of characteristics of secondary students’mathematical epistemological beliefs from719involved secondary students, and probed the relations between mathematical epistemological beliefs and mathematicallearning strategies.This research indicates:1. The structured dimensions of secondary students’ mathematical epistemologicalbeliefs include structures, resources, definiteness, speed and ability of mathematicallearning. Those five dimensions are capably suitable for ideal modal. The formatedscale is reliable and effective; this scale can be applied as tool for the survey ofsecondary students’ mathematical epistemological beliefs.2. The characteristics of secondary students’ mathematical epistemological beliefs:1). Generally, secondary students’ mathematical epistemological beliefs performs thepositive trends, the most mature cognition is ability of mathematical leaning, theworst is definiteness of mathematical knowledge.2). Significant differences were found among different grades.Differences ofsecondary students’ mathematical epistemological beliefs based on grades aresignificant as the most negative belief is on senior students.3). Differences of secondary students’ mathematical epistemological beliefs based onsexuality are not significant.4). Significant differences were found among different mathematics achievement.Differences of secondary students’ mathematical epistemological beliefs based onabilities of study are significant as students with better abilities of study perform thebest on mathematical epistemological beliefs.3. The relations of secondary students’ mathematical epistemological beliefs andmathematical learning strategies. Secondary students’ mathematical epistemologicalbeliefs perform positive correlation with mathematical learning strategies,mathematical epistemological beliefs constitute positive regression effect withmathematical learning strategies, and this could be applied for forecasting the level ofstudents’ mathematical learning strategies.