How students and teachers in Singapore and the United States conceptualize knowledge and beliefs: Positioning learning within epistemological frameworks

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we wanted to examine the conceptions of knowledge and beliefs of Singaporean and American students and their teachers to investigate whether differences existed across these diverse cultures. Our second purpose was to consider whether the epistemological frameworks for those individuals populating the same educational communities were similar or different. To explore these questions, we asked ninth-grade students, typically ages 14 and 15, and their teachers in Singapore and America to share their views on the concepts of knowledge and beliefs via an introspective task. Based on the trends that emerged in this exploration, we address the purposes of this study and forward implications for educational research and practice.