PRESERVICE TEACHERS BELIEFS ABOUT LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE

This study investigated the structure of beliefs about learning and kn owledge held by 279 preservice students entering a faculty of educatio n. The students responded to 80 statements by rating their agreement o r disagreement on a five-point Likert scale. A factor analysis reveale d 10 factors: Discovery Learning, Maturation, Easy Learning, Teaching as Transmission, Metacognition, Regulation, Emotion in Learning, Indiv idualism Relativism, and Cognitive Processes. These factors were nearl y orthogonal with one another. Most students endorsed a view of learni ng that included both constructivist and transmission-oriented themes. Implications for teacher education are discussed.