www.ijird.com August, 2015 Vol 4 Issue 9 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Page 139 Epistemic Beliefs and their Instructional Practice: Perspective of a Private University in Ghana 1. Introduction The concept of the epistemological beliefs system (the nature of knowledge e and the process of knowing) has been studied for over four decades now, and is one of the areas that continues to attract the attention of researchers (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997; Hofer, 2004). Trigwell and Prosser (2004) observed that “there are systematic relations between the ways teachers’ teach and the quality of their students’ learning” (p. 421). Personal epistemology is closely associated with the reasons why teachers make certain decisions in their classrooms (Hofer, 2001; Hofer & Pintrich, 1997). This implies that the epistemological beliefs of teachers influence their choice of instructional practice. Understanding of epistemological beliefs of teachers and how students perceive knowledge is important in ensuring that students succeed in the teaching learning process (Hofer, 2001; Trigwell & Prosser, 2001; Braten & Stromso, 2006). Knowledge in the epistemological beliefs is important to different aspects of the teaching and learning process. Within the epistemological beliefs field, much of the research focused on college students’ epistemological beliefs with other academic variables (Baxter Magolda, 1992; Perry, 1970; Hofer, 2000). As a result of these studies, educators have explored college students’ beliefs and theories about the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing (Hofer, 2001; 2004). Despite this rigorous work with college students, it is only in the last few years that the epistemological beliefs of student-teachers have been studied (Schraw & Olafson, 2008). Currently, there are limited empirical research studies that have focused on classroom teachers’ epistemology. Commenting on the problem of limited research on teachers’ epistemological beliefs with college students in Turkey, Chai, Khine, and Teo (2006) lamented that there has not been much research on student-teachers. These researchers explained that the previous studies focused mainly on college students and made it difficult to conceptualize teachers’ epistemological beliefs. In spite of some evidence-based studies on epistemological beliefs of college students in the western world (Brew, 2001), there has not been much research on personal epistemology in other non-western contexts. Ghana, and for that matter, most countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa are yet to add their voice through empirical study on the implication of epistemological beliefs to the teaching and learning. Mawere (2011) stated that “scholars in the field of philosophy have not devoted adequate time to analyze philosophical themes that run through African literature” (p. 1). Apart from the lack of research on student-teachers’ epistemological beliefs in Ghana, there is inadequate literature that explores student-teachers’ epistemological beliefs in relationship to their instructional practice. What is not known in Ghana might possibly be whether the epistemological beliefs of teachers are promoting or inhibiting students’ learning and development. Now that more and more stakeholders are becoming involved in education and are demanding accountability (Findlow, 2008), there is the possibility of enormous pressure on teachers to be mindful of the instructional choices they make in the teaching and learning environment. ISSN 2278 – 0211 (Online) Jacob Manu Adjunct Professor, Minot State University, North Dakota, United States Robert Osei-Bonsu Rector, Valley View University, Techiman Campus, Oyibi, Ghana George Prince Atta Research Assistant, University of North Dakota, United States Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the epistemological beliefs of student-teachers in Ghana and how these beliefs related to their projected instructional practice. The results indicated that Ghanaian student-teachers had somewhat novice epistemological beliefs. There were significant differences among the dimensions of epistemological beliefs. Also, there was no significant correlation between the epistemological beliefs and projected instructional practice of student-teachers in Ghana. The implications for practice are discussed. Keywords: Epistemology, projected instructional practice, student-teachers, discipline, dimensions