The Development of Personal Epistemology

How do students develop their personal views on knowledge and the nature of knowing? In this groundbreaking study, Dr. Seblewongel Asrat Denneque investigates the development of the personal epistemology of Ethiopian undergraduate students and its impact on their experience of the educational environment. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative research methods, Denneque outlines the similarities and differences between students with liberal and theological studies backgrounds as well as their perception of the factors that contribute to the development of their personal epistemology. Educational environments, family backgrounds, and communal learning have a great impact on the complex formation of a student’s understanding of knowledge, ultimately influencing the ways that they go on to operate in the world. Filled with rich scholarship and practical implications, this work provides educators and institutions with insight for providing the most optimal learning environment and educational policies for the development of personal epistemology. It also provides students with a framework for understanding their own personal epistemology and how it affects their learning experience.