My Epistemological Beliefs

I tried to answer Schommer’s Epistemological Quiz (Schommer, 1998), and my answers has not really changed after my readings. Below are my epistemological beliefs and their effects in facilitating my learning. In rare cases, they have been the reasons of my inhibitions.

1. Control of Learning

For the control of learning, I have the following distribution:

inherited: 80%
acquired: 20%

Implication: This means that I know my limits (inhibition). I believe that there are people who are born genius. Recently, I realized that I cannot be a mathematician because I am not good enough. But this does not prevent me from doing the best that I can in mathematics.

2. Speed of Learning

I believe that there are things that are easy to learn, but more likely, there are more things that require gradual learning. I have the following percentages:

Quick learning: 10%
Moderately quick learning: 20%
Gradual learning: 70%

Implication: I learn things slowly. I tend to go back and forth to what I’m learning in order to have deeper understanding. I also study multiple resources for further learning.

3. Organization of Learning

I believe that a few knowledges are isolated, but most of it are networks with many links.

isolated compartments: 1%
compartments with a few links: 9%
networks with many links: 90%

Implication: I try to reflect on the connections between and among the concepts I’ve learned.

4. Stability of Knowledge

I strongly believe that knowledge is always evolving and there is still vast knowledge that we do not now.

Discovered and unchanging: 1%
Yet to be discovered: 99%
Always evolving: 90% of the discovered

Implication: I always update myself with the new knowledge and discoveries. I read voraciously because I know that there are things that I do not know. I know that there is vast knowledge out there that is waiting to be learned.