INVESTIGATION OF “PERSONAL EPISTEMOLOGY” AND “SELF-PERCEPTION” OF INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE EDUCATION IN TURKEY

The aim of the study is to examine the personal epistemology and self-perception of the international college

students who receive education in Turkey. The participants of the study included 180 international students

attending either public or private universities in Turkey during the academic year of 2012-2013. Of them five

were females (2,78%) and the remaining were 175 males (97,22%). The data of the study were collected

using three tools, namely epistemological beliefs survey questionnaire (Chan & Elliot, 2002, 2004), basic

self-evaluation scale (Judge, Erez, Bono & Thoresen, 2003) and personal information form developed by the

authors. The data obtained were analysed through the Kuruskal Wallis H test, one-way analysis of variance,

correlation analysis and regression analysis. The findings of the study indicated that personal epistemology of

the participants significantly varies based on the variables of “perceptions about the sufficiency of high

school education”, “orientation to education”, and “academic achievement”. It was also found that their self-
perception is significantly affected by the variables of “perceptions about the sufficiency of high school

education”, “orientation to education”, “grade level”, and “academic achievement”. In addition, a positive

medium level correlation was found between personal epistemology and self-perception. The findings are

discussed and several suggestions are developed.