Measuring Epistemological Beliefs on History in Secondary Education

Abstract

For this study, a questionnaire was developed to measure epistemological beliefs on history and history education. The purpose of this research was to test whether the designed questionnaire is an accurate instrument for measuring epistemic beliefs on history and history education amongst secondary school students. Data for this study was collected at two schools for secondary education in the district of Utrecht. In total, 131 students from havo and vwo participated in this study. Cognitive interviews served as an initial attempt to validate the questionnaire and detect possible reasons for misinterpretation of the statements. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a three factor model underlying the questionnaire, with a Cronbach’s alpha of .65 for the 19-item scale.