Investigation of the relationship between high school teachers' beliefs in the nature of the history of science and their epistemological beliefs

In this study, it is aimed to examine the relationship between high school teachers' beliefs in the nature of the history of science and their epistemological beliefs. In this study, survey model, a quantitative research method, was used as a research method. The sample consisted of 492 teachers. Participants were chosen by using availability- based sampling method. In the research, data were collected using the Epistemological Belief Scale developed by Conley et al (2004). and the belief scale of the nature of history of science developed by VanSledright ve Reddy (2014). From the analysis carried out without doing any branch distinction, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of female teachers in the Subjectivist Understanding of History sub-dimension. In addition, from the analysis carried out without doing any branch discrimination, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of female teachers only in the Source of Scientific Knowledge sub-dimension, according to the gender variable in the epistemological belief sub-dimensions statistically significant correlations between science-based teachers and nonscience based teachers were determined between the sub-dimensions of both scales. It was suggested that teachers who tend to see the scientist, teacher and textbook factors as the source of knowledge in some correlations have a perspective in the form of interpretation that is not based on historical evidence. In another correlation, it was determined that teachers see their understanding of history as an activity performed by an expert, an authority and does not need interpretation. Moreover, it was observed that a negative correlation emerged as a result of the weakening of historical beliefs based on interpretation with strengthening of teachers' understanding that knowledge can change based on experience, evidence and new discoveries.