Attitude and Action
Forms of Knowledge: Four Paradigms
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kavous Ardalan
Knowledge can be generated in different ways, and can appear in different forms. The purpose of this study is to point out the role of any particular ontology, epistemology, and methodology in generating a corresponding form of knowledge. This is important because the so-called “scientific knowledge,” in the mainstream academic research, is a particular form of knowledge, which is generated based on a particular ontology, epistemology, and methodology, that ignores and demotes other forms of knowledge. This is, indeed, related to the “philosophy of science.” This study argues that social theory can usefully be conceived in terms of four key paradigms: functionalist, interpretive, radical humanist, and radical structuralist. The four paradigms are founded upon different assumptions about the nature of social science and the nature of society. Each paradigm has its own ontology, epistemology, and methodology that generates its own form of knowledge which is different from the knowledge generated by each of the other paradigms. The four types of knowledge, thus generated, are equally scientific and informative; they look at the phenomenon from their certain paradigmatic viewpoint; and together they provide a broader and balanced understanding of the phenomenon under consideration.
Academics’ Epistemological Attitude towards University Lecturers’ Knowledge View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jevgenija Sivoronova, Aleksejs Vorobjovs
The authors investigate the epistemological, scientific, and socio-psychological problems of a traditional source of knowledge, such as university lecturers' knowledge, from the perspective of academics. The problem is objectified by the aim to study the academics' epistemological attitude towards university lecturers' knowledge. The epistemological attitude concept is a theoretical and methodological prism for studying the problem of sources of knowledge. Developed as an interdisciplinary-oriented theory, it combines holistic constructivism, epistemology, system modelling, particular theories of personality, social and cognitive psychology and sociology. Current research is realized in a quantitative research strategy and survey design. One hundred twenty university lecturers, professors, and researchers from various disciplines and faculties from different institutions of higher education in Latvia are involved. The authors originally developed the research method of two instruments: epistemological attitudes towards sources of knowledge questionnaire and epistemological attitude semantic questionnaire. Data analysis procedures consist of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and regression analysis. The results of research and modelling the academics' epistemological attitude towards university lecturers' knowledge reveal its content and semantic space, the psychosocial construct of the source and its epistemological and socio-psychological meanings. The results highlight academics' needs for specific forms of knowledge and required qualities. The role of this source is becoming more critical, highlighting changes in interaction specificity and reflecting transformations in cognition by the quality, comprehensiveness and depth of knowledge engagement. Traditional ways of knowledge transfer must remain but, in the same way, must respond to academic, educational, and social demands in contemporary society.
