Teacher's Ontological and Epistemological Beliefs

Abstract

This chapter involves a discussion of a case study to explore teachers' beliefs on the nature of reality (ontology) and knowledge (epistemology) within an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at the International School of Amsterdam. The study is positioned within the constructivist-interpretive paradigm and allows for the emergence of a holistic and contextualized understanding of teachers' beliefs and practices. The chapter includes reflection on the author's ontology and epistemology and its impact on the research undertaking. The study is an attempt to understand whether teachers' beliefs impact their approaches to teaching within this inquiry-based environment. Comprehensive teacher profiles were generated for three participants, all experienced teachers, who teach Science, English Literature, and Spanish. The findings indicate that the participants' approaches to teaching resonate strongly with their ontological and epistemological beliefs. The chapter also includes consideration of the role that scholarship played in the generation of the teacher profiles.