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Seung Yon Ha_Dissertation.pdf (2.11 MB)

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Social Construction of Epistemic Cognition about Social Knowledge during Small-Group Discussions

Ha, Seung Yon
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8936-7746
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1563370942277275

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Educational Studies.
One of the major challenges that students in the 21st century have faced is the need to reconcile various perspectives in the increasingly complex and interconnected world. Epistemic cognition—the process of thinking about what counts as knowledge and the process of knowing— plays an important role in enabling people to critically examine their understanding about the social world (i.e., social knowledge). Research has suggested that students lacking sophisticated social knowledge are vulnerable to negative social experiences, such as bullying or victimization, which can lead to long-term detrimental life-course outcomes. To this end, the major research gap in this field is the lack of scholarly understanding about the nature and development of epistemic cognition about social knowledge. The overarching aim of this study was to unpack the process by which early adolescents develop epistemic cognition about social knowledge. Based on 12 small groups’ (63 fifth-grade students) discussions performed at three time points (a total of 36 discussions), this study investigated 1) the ways by which networks of epistemic cognition about social knowledge operate; 2) the impact of collaborative small group dialogic inquiry on the development of epistemic cognition about social knowledge; and 3) the associations between students’ epistemic cognition about social knowledge and their social reasoning development. To examine how students’ epistemic cognition worked and developed within the context of group discussions through the continued participation in collaborative small group dialogic inquiry, this study applied a network analysis approach called Epistemic Network Analysis, along with qualitative coding of discussions and quantitative analyses. The findings showed that 1) epistemic cognition about social knowledge constructed during small group discussions were connected epistemic networks; 2) the collaborative small group dialogic inquiry activity was effective in promoting students’ epistemic cognition about social knowledge from simple to complex structures; 3) students with differing level of improvement in social reasoning from pre- to post-test demonstrated different patterns of epistemic network. Our findings inform ongoing research and development of pedagogical strategies designed to support students’ cognitive and metacognitive development in social domains.
Tzu-Jung Lin (Committee Chair)
George Newell (Committee Member)
Michael Glassman (Committee Member)
134 p.
Educational Psychology
epistemic cognition; social knowledge; dialogic inquiry; collaborative social reasoning; epistemic network analysis

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ha, S. Y. (2019). Social Construction of Epistemic Cognition about Social Knowledge during Small-Group Discussions [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1563370942277275

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ha, Seung Yon. Social Construction of Epistemic Cognition about Social Knowledge during Small-Group Discussions . 2019. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1563370942277275.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ha, Seung Yon. "Social Construction of Epistemic Cognition about Social Knowledge during Small-Group Discussions ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1563370942277275

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1563370942277275
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.