Discovering different conceptualizations of epistemic beliefs across the school context – A systematic literature review

Abstract

Investigating teachers' and students’ epistemic beliefs to better understand classroom processes has been a long-standing focus in educational and psychological research. Since its inception, many instruments have been developed to assess these beliefs, yet debate continues around how epistemic beliefs are conceptualized and measured. The current systematic review synthesizes and analyzes self-report questionnaires that assess epistemic beliefs, focusing on their underlying theoretical frameworks, psychometric properties, and cross-cultural validity. Studies published from 1990 onward were identified across seven databases and categorized as original, validation, translation, or adaptation studies. In total, 111 studies were included, with instruments translated across 17 languages and 53 attempts to replicate a factor structure registered. Results indicate that, while most scales shared similar underlying constructs, conceptual fragmentation persists across disciplines and contexts. More, many scales showed limited replication success, and psychometric properties varied considerably across studies. Cross-cultural validity was also often difficult to establish, highlighting the challenges of adapting epistemic belief measures across contexts. Nevertheless, some instruments showed comparatively promising psychometric properties. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of careful instrument selection and context-sensitive implementation, while also pointing to promising directions for future research, through greater transparency, improved documentation, and more integrated approaches to assessing epistemic beliefs.