Reliability and Validity Study of the Epistemological Belief Questionnaire for Medical Education

Background: The study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the “Epistemological Belief Scale” for medical education. Methods: The research carried out with 274 students and 121 faculties from Bal？kesir University Medical School and 121 physicians from Bal？kesir State Hospital’s physicians. After all necessary permission obtained, research data were gathered by Epistemological Belief Scale. It based on the grading scale of five likert type 38 questions and adapted to Turkish by Karhan. Kaiser Meyer Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s test, item total score correlation, exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used for data analyses. Results: According to the analysis results fourteen items was excluded from scale. The total score correlation value of the items in the scale were range between 0.314 and 0.586. Factor loads are in the range of 0.470-0.743. The scale was separated into four factor groups, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of total scale was found to as 0.84. Conclusions: The results showed that the Epistemological Belief Scale’s new form was a reliable and valid tool and it can be used in medical education. By the scale, Epistemological beliefs and its determinants could be evaluated