The Role of Epistemic Beliefs and Gender in Argumentation Performance in Online Learning Environments

This study explores the role of students’ epistemic beliefs and gender in argumentation performance in essay writing. Data were collected from 148 undergraduate students. The results showed that students’ beliefs about the Internet-specific justification of knowledge did not influence argumentation performance, while beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge had an influential role. Results showed no overall gender differences in argumentative essay writing. The interaction effects of beliefs about the Internet-specific justification of knowledge and gender in argumentation performance, overall, were reported to be neutral. However, there was an interaction effect between students’ epistemic beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge and their gender in argumentation performance. These findings provide evidence for guiding students’ argumentation performance in higher education.