Understanding middle students' beliefs about knowledge and learning using a multidimensional paradigm

Recent theory (Schommer, 1990) suggests that personal epistemology is multi dimensional. The multidimensional epistemology structure with middle school students was tested in this study. Over 1,200 students in Grades 7 and 8 c ompleted an epistemological belief questionnaire. Prior theory, developed w ith college students, suggested 4 epistemological belief factors: Ability t o Learn, Structure of Knowledge, Speed of Learning, and Stability of Knowle dge. Confirmatory factor analysis applied to a random half of the sample in dicated that a 3-factor model was a good fit to the data. That model was re plicated with the second half of the data. Follow-up regression analyses in dicated that the more students believed in gradual learning and incremental ability to learn, the higher GPA they earned.