Do Sophisticated Scientific Epistemological Beliefs Of Sri Lankan Senior Secondary Students Predict Their Conceptions Of Learning Science A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis

This paper attempts to show the predictive effect of Sri lankan senior secondary students scientific epistemological beliefs on their conceptions of learning science. The study was a survey using a sample which included 415 Sri lankan senior secondary students grade 10 and 11.The structural equation modelling was performed to analyse the data to ascertain the predictive effect of scientific epistemological beliefs of these students. The results revealed that the senior secondary students scientific epistemological beliefs predict their conceptions of learning science. Moreover it was found that sophisticated scientific epistemological beliefs of these students predict the constructive conceptions of learning science. The findings provide important implications for development of science curriculum and improvement of achievement level of senior secondary students in science.