ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0456-5071
Date of Award
Spring 2025
Language
English
Embargo Period
5-11-2027
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School/Department
Department of Educational Theory and Practice
Program
Curriculum and Instruction
First Advisor
Dr. Peter J. Shea (Chair)
Committee Members
Dr. Reza Feyzi Behnagh, Dr. Jianwei Zhang
Keywords
Epistemic Beliefs, Epistemology, STEM, Online Teaching, STEM Online, Pedagogical Affinity
Subject Categories
Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Methods | Educational Technology | Higher Education | Higher Education and Teaching | Instructional Media Design | Online and Distance Education | Other Teacher Education and Professional Development | Teacher Education and Professional Development
Abstract
This study explores relationships between epistemic beliefs, pedagogical affinity, and objectivist/positivist views in higher education faculty. Anchored in STEM and non-STEM disciplines, it investigates how beliefs about the nature of knowledge shape instructional orientations—particularly the tension between positivist and constructivist approaches. Using a cross-sectional, quantitative design, 241 faculty were surveyed, measuring five dimensions of epistemic beliefs, objectivist/positivist views, and indicators of pedagogical affinity. Triangulation of Likert-scale measures and vignette-based indicators provided multidimensional perspectives on epistemic and pedagogical patterns. Correlation analyses revealed strong-moderate relationships, showing that faculty who believe in expert and certain knowledge are more likely to favor objectivist, instructor-centered approaches. ANOVA results highlighted disciplinary differences: STEM faculty reported stronger beliefs in the certainty of knowledge, greater trust in expert knowledge, and higher affinity for positivist pedagogy than their counterparts in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Further analysis of disciplinary subgroups revealed that faculty in the Natural and Formal Sciences showed the strongest objectivist views, while those in the Natural and Applied Sciences exhibited the highest positivist pedagogical affinity. Building on these findings, the study critiques current epistemic belief frameworks and proposes a Constructionist Epistemic Beliefs Model—reframing epistemic beliefs as Dialogic Knowledge, Situated Knowledge, Knowledge Construction, Learning Potential, and Critical Pluralism. This reconceptualization advances the field by challenging embedded objectivist hierarchies evident in epistemic beliefs research and reframing them as constructionist constructs. This study affirms that epistemic beliefs influence openness to constructivist pedagogy and lays the conceptual and theoretical groundwork for future research and learner-centered online STEM environments.
License
This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.
Recommended Citation
Pickett, Alejandra M., "Prolegomenon to the Impact of Epistemic Beliefs on Online Pedagogical Affinity: A Comparative Study of STEM and Non-STEM Faculty" (2025). Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present). 227.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/etd/227
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Educational Technology Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Instructional Media Design Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
