A Qualitative Study of Pre-Service Teachers’Epistemic Cognition: Implications for Theoretical Model and Measurement

This study aims to explore the characteristics of epistemic cognition (EC) among pre-service teachers majoring in education through a qualitative research approach and to examine the potential for expanding existing EC models. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine pre-service teachers, and the collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed six major themes regarding their thinking about the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing. First, the pre-service teachers demonstrated a range of learning goals, ranging from non-epistemic aims (e.g., preparing for exams, achieving high grades) to epistemic ones (e.g., acquiring and applying knowledge, expanding understanding, testing beliefs), with goals varying depending on the activity’s context. Second, the pre-service teachers recognized different types of knowledge and perceived that the nature of knowledge varied accordingly. Third, the certainty of knowledge was interpreted differently depending on the domain and type of knowledge. Fourth, they showed varying levels of understandings of the simplicity of knowledge depending on the type of knowledge. Fifth, various methods—such as personal experience, logical reasoning, and others’ opinions—were employed to justify knowledge. Sixth, experts were regarded as trustworthy and essential sources of knowledge. This study highlights that pre-service teachers’ epistemic cognition is fluid and context-dependent, varying across academic domains, situational contexts, and types of knowledge. The findings offer theoretical implications for extending existing EC models and for restructuring epistemic cognition questionnaires.