Investigating the relationship between high school teachers' epistemological beliefs and their teaching-learning approaches

The general aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between teachers', who work in state and private high schools of Ministry of National Education, epistemological beliefs and their teaching and learning approaches. In this vein, it is attempted to reveal relationship between high school teachers' epistemological beliefs and their teaching and learning approaches and those relationships were investigated. In connection with general aims; answers to following sub-aims of study were sought: 1. What is the level of high school teachers' epistemological beliefs? 2. Is there any difference in high school teachers' epistemological beliefs on the basis of a) gender, b) teaching experience, c) subject specialism, e) type of institution and f) type of the school worked in variables? 3. How are the teaching-learning approaches of high school teachers? 4. Is there any difference between high school teachers' teaching-learning approaches and a) gender, b) teaching experience, c) subject specialism, e) type of institution and f) type of the school worked in variables? 5. Is there any relationship between high school teachers' epistemological beliefs and their teaching-learning approaches? This research is a descriptive study and survey model is adopted. Universe of the study consist of 2670 teachers who work in total of 112 high schools of Trabzon city and provinces in 2012-2013 academic year. Sample of the study consists of 1581 randomly selected high school teachers who accepted to fill out the scale voluntarily. Data were obtained through two different scales which consist of 5 optional likert type items. In the data analysis process, frequencies, percentage, means scores, "t" test and One Way Variance Analysis (Anova); Mann Whitney U tests were utilized. Bonferroni Test was used in order to find out differences occurred between which groups. In order to determine the relationships between high school teachers' epistemological beliefs and their teaching and learning approaches, Pearson's Moment Correlation Co-efficient (r) technique was employed. Findings obtained from data analysis can be summarized as follows: 1. It was found that high school teachers have developed epistemological beliefs in "expert is a source of knowledge and learning is a talent" dimension of epistemological beliefs; have weak beliefs in "learning does not depend on effort" dimension; and they have positivistic and objectivist beliefs in "knowledge is unique and certain" dimension of epistemological beliefs. 2. In the study, in some dimensions of epistemological beliefs resulted in favor of female teachers on the basis of gender variable. In some dimensions of epistemological beliefs; it was seen that teachers' developed (sophisticated) beliefs at lower teaching experiences were evolved to less developed (naïve) beliefs when their teaching experiences were increased. There is no difference between teachers' epistemological beliefs on the basis of subject specialism dimension. 3. In the study, it was found out that there was a meaningful difference between teachers' who have undergraduate diploma and post-graduate diploma in favor of postgraduates. No difference was found between teachers' epistemological beliefs and their institutions and school type variables. 4. In the study it was found out that teachers adopted constructivist learning approach but they were indecisive about traditional learning approach. 5. In the study results show that female teachers are more in favor of constructivist learning approach compare to male teachers. On the basis of traditional learning approach there was no difference in terms of gender variable. In terms of constructivist and traditional learning dimensions of teachers' teaching-learning approaches, meaningful differences were found between those dimensions and teaching experiences of teachers. Accordingly; teachers who have 1-5 years of teaching experiences have embraced constructivist learning approaches more than teachers who have higher teaching experiences and did not adopted traditional learning approaches. No difference was determined between teachers' traditional and constructivist learning approaches on the basis of subject specialism variable. 6. Results of the study show that teachers who have postgraduate degree have embraced constructivist learning approaches compare to teachers with undergraduate diplomas. On the contrary no meaningful difference was found between teachers learning approaches on the basis of type of institution and type of school they work in. 7. At the end of the study it can be said that there is a positive correlation between developed epistemological beliefs and subjective knowledge understanding and constructivist approach whereas negative correlation with traditional pedagogical approach. As a result of the study it is suggested that Ministry of National Education should spend efforts to help each of high school teachers to have developed epistemological beliefs and through co-operating with universities workshops, seminars and conferences should be arranged for teachers. It is also suggested that at education faculties epistemological based courses should be added to programs, through in-service training course teachers' epistemological beliefs should be improved, universities should expand post-graduate student quotas for teachers, and qualitative field focused researches and different contextual studies on epistemological beliefs should be carried out. Keywords: Epistemological beliefs, Teaching-learning Approaches, constructivist approach, Traditional approach, High school teachers.