1.
Baxter Magolda’s
Epistemology Reflection
Presented by: Brandi Hoffman

2.
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

3.
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

4.
The Four Stages
• First Stage: Absolute Knowing
• Second Stage: Transitional Knowing
• Third Stage: Independent Knowing
• Fourth & Final Stage: Contextual Knowing

5.
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.

6.
Two Patterns
Receiving Mastering
• Listening and recording
knowledge to learn
• Students desire
participation in class,
showing instructor interest
and actively “mastering”
material

7.
Transitional Knowing
• Movement into by understanding authority can
be unreliable
• Acceptance that some knowledge is uncertain
• Focus is on understanding and processing
knowledge

8.
Two Patterns
Interpersonal 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.

9.
Independent Knowing
• Knowledge is viewed as mostly uncertain
• Thinking for yourself and creating individualized
truths
• Establishing and understanding subjective
points of view

10.
Two Patterns
Inter-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

11.
Contextual Knowing
• Identifying criteria in which to make choices
• Knowledge exists in a context and is judged on
evidence compared to the context

12.
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

13.
Interesting Information
• Learning in the Whole House.
▫ Keynote address, Kent State University October,
2009
• Dr. Baxter Magolda teaches student
development theory

14.
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