Exploring teaching of scientific reasoning and argumentation in psychology education: the central role of epistemology

Auteurs

  • Marleen Evers Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology, KU Leuven, Dekenstraat 2 (box 3773), 3000 Leuven, Belgium https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7761-675X
  • Jan Elen Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology, KU Leuven, Dekenstraat 2 (box 3773), 3000 Leuven, Belgium
  • Machteld Vandecandelaere Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology, KU Leuven, Dekenstraat 2 (box 3773), 3000 Leuven, Belgium

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59302/r5zrzw19

Trefwoorden:

scientific reasoning, subject didactics, psychology education, secondary education, epistemological beliefs

Samenvatting

Scientific reasoning and argumentation (SRA) are complex thinking skills enabling students to evaluate, generate, and use information that helps to understand and solve scientific and societal challenges. Unlike in hard sciences and history education, teaching SRA in psychology education is understudied. This is problematic as SRA-skills are highly discipline-specific and can help students to cope with the characteristics of psychology as ill-structured and nonparadigmatic discipline. Therefore, the aim of this exploratory study was to identify key issues in teaching SRA in psychology education. Fifteen secondary psychology teachers participated in three focus groups. An inductive thematic analysis identified three key themes which show that (1) teachers' ambitions for psychology education, (2) the ways in which teachers understand SRA, and (3) teachers' epistemological beliefs, help to understand the reported difficulties in teaching SRA in psychology. The strong epistemological dimension of SRA was not easily recognized by teachers, nor did teachers refer to epistemological criteria when discussing assessment criteria, making it difficult for teachers to see how to assess SRA. The study indicates that teachers’ epistemological beliefs (e.g. psychology is vague and subjective) may explain this difficulty. The results can serve as starting point for further research on SRA in psychology education.

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Biografieën auteurs

  • Marleen Evers, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology, KU Leuven, Dekenstraat 2 (box 3773), 3000 Leuven, Belgium

    Marleen Evers is a doctoral researcher at the Center for Instructional Psychology and Technology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at KU Leuven. Her research focuses on subject-specific research on teaching and learning in psychology education. In this context, she is working on issues related to scientific reasoning and argumentation and epistemological beliefs.

  • Jan Elen, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology, KU Leuven, Dekenstraat 2 (box 3773), 3000 Leuven, Belgium

    Jan Elen is a full professor at the Center for Instructional Psychology and Technology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at KU Leuven. In his research he focusses on the design of learning environments that foster complex learning in higher education. In that context he addresses questions pertaining to both technology for education and technology of education.

  • Machteld Vandecandelaere, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Centre for Instructional Psychology and Technology, KU Leuven, Dekenstraat 2 (box 3773), 3000 Leuven, Belgium

    Machteld Vandecandelaere is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Instructional Psychology and Technology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at KU Leuven. Her current research efforts focus on teaching methodology and pedagogical content knowledge of psychology teachers.

Overige bestanden

Gepubliceerd

2025-03-15

Nummer

Vol 102 Nr 1 (2025)

Sectie

Empirische Studie

Citeerhulp

Evers, M., Elen, J., & Vandecandelaere, M. (2025). Exploring teaching of scientific reasoning and argumentation in psychology education: the central role of epistemology. Pedagogische Studiën, 102(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.59302/r5zrzw19