Baxter Magolda’s Epistemology ReflectionPresented by: Brandi Hoffman

Marcia Baxter Magolda• 1974 B.A Capital University

▫Major Psychology▫Minor Sociology

• 1976 M.A. The Ohio State University▫College Student Personnel/ Higher Education

• 1983 Ph. D. The Ohio State University▫College Student Personnel/ Higher Education

• Distinguished Professor, Educational Leadership, Miami University of Ohio Teaching and advising in the Student Affairs in Higher

Education graduate program

The Theory•Epistemology Reflection•5 year longitudinal study at Miami

University of Ohio•Interview based

▫101 students: 51 women, 50 male, 3 underrepresented groups 70 students participated for the full 5 years:

2 from underrepresented groups

The Four Stages•First Stage: Absolute Knowing

•Second Stage: Transitional Knowing

•Third Stage: Independent Knowing

•Fourth & Final Stage: Contextual Knowing

Absolute Knowing•Knowledge is certain and comes from

authorities•Focus is on the acquisition or achievement

of knowledge•Evaluation- reproduction of knowledge to

determine accuracy.

Two PatternsReceiving Mastering

• Listening and recording knowledge to learn

• Students desire participation in class, showing instructor interest and actively “mastering” material

Transitional Knowing•Movement into by understanding

authority can be unreliable•Acceptance that some knowledge is

uncertain•Focus is on understanding and processing

knowledge

Two PatternsInterpersonal Impersonal

•Attempting to connect to the subject, sharing views and linking one’s perspectives with that of others. Especially within uncertainty.

•Focus more on their own perspectives and defending their opinions. More likely to separate self from others and the subject matter.

Independent Knowing•Knowledge is viewed as mostly uncertain•Thinking for yourself and creating

individualized truths•Establishing and understanding

subjective points of view

Two PatternsInter-individual Individual

• Places value on one’s own ideas as well as the ideas of others

•More attention given to the individual’s own thinking

Contextual Knowing •Identifying criteria in which to make

choices•Knowledge exists in a context and is

judged on evidence compared to the context

Strengths and Criticisms Strengths Criticisms• Guided interviews allowed

key influence discussion with students sharing experiences and the meaning they made

• Applications within higher education

• On going study- lead to the development of her Self-Authorship theory

• Leaned toward testing theories of Perry and Belenky in beginning of research study

• Students of color represented only 3% of population

• Frame of the study as a study about learning

Interesting Information•Learning in the Whole House.

▫Keynote address, Kent State University October, 2009

•Dr. Baxter Magolda teaches student development theory

References  Baxter Magolda, M. (2004). Evolution of a Constuctivist Conceptualization

of Epistemology Reflection. Retrieved from http://citl.indiana.edu/files/pdf/baxter_1.pdf

Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., Guido, F.M., Patton, L.D., & Renn, K.A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Baxter Magolda, M. Miami University of Ohio Staff Directory. Retrieved from http://www.units.miamioh.edu/eap/edl/documents/facultyCV/BaxterMagolda.pdf