Cultural background and the epistemic orientation of university students: An exploratory study.
Creators: name: Abdennur, Alexander.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1999
Subjects: subject: Education, Sociology of.

description: The present study examined the impact of cultural background on the epistemic orientation of university students. A sample of undergraduate students drawn from two Canadian universities (N = 540) were compared with a sample drawn from two universities in Lebanon (N = 663). Epistemic orientation was operationalized in terms of the two selected instruments. The Knowledge Accessing Modes Inventory (KAMI) (Rancourt, 1988) measures the three epistemic modes: Rational, Empirical, and Noetic. The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) (Gregorc, 1982) provides measures for four stylistic preferences: Concrete Sequential, Abstract Sequential, Abstract Random, and Concrete Random. The GSD was used to provide corroborative support for KAMI's three modes from a somewhat different epistemic perspective. On the basis of previous scholarly analyses and cross-cultural comparative research, it was hypothesized that: (1) the Arab sample is more rational than the Canadian sample as measured alternatively by KAMI's Rational mode, by GSD's Abstract Sequential scale, or by the combination of both; (2) the Canadian sample is more empirical than the Arab sample as measured alternatively by KAMI's Empirical mode, by GSD's Concrete Sequential scale, or by the combination of both; (3) the Canadian sample is more noetic than the Arab sample as measured alternatively by KAMI's Noetic mode, by GSD's Concrete Random, by GSD's Abstract Random, or by the combination of KAMI's Noetic with each of the two latter GSD scales; and (4) the dominant epistemic modes in each of the fields of specialization in both samples are consistent with those indicated in previous research. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, z-tests and correlational analysis. The results, confirmed three (one partially) of the four hypotheses. The Arab sample was found to be more 'rational' on all three scales: the Rational mode of KAMI, the Abstract Sequential scale of GSD and by their combination. The hypothesis of Canadians having a higher proportion of 'empiricals' was not confirmed. The hypothesis of Canadian sample having a higher proportion of noetics was only confirmed by the Abstract Random scale of GSD. In addition, the results indicated that epistemic differences related to gender were, on the whole, consistent with previous research: males were higher on the Rational and Empirical modes and females were higher on the Noetic Mode. Gender differences, on the whole, also reflected the differences hypothesized in the first three hypotheses: Arab males and females were more rational, less empirical and less noetic than their Canadian counterparts. Engineering, sciences, social sciences, business, and health sciences students indicated a Rational dominant mode which was consistent with previous research. Also, as expected, fine arts students indicated a Noetic dominant mode. It was also found that the similar scales of KAMI and GSD were correlated. The Rational and Noetic modes of KAMI were related with the Abstract Sequential and Abstract Random scales of GSD respectively. The correlation between Empirical and Concrete Sequential scale of GSD was low. A low correlation was found between the Noetic mode of KAMI and the Concrete Random scale of GSD. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)