The Role of Epistemological Beliefs, Thinking Styles, and Learning Strategies on Academic Performance of Students

The aim of this research is to study the relationship between epistemological beliefs, thinking styles, learning strategies with academic performance of Payame Noor University students of humanities. 231 psychology, education and social science students were selected randomly as a sample via monostage cluster sampling. Instruments included epistemological beliefs questionnaire (Schommer, 1990), thinking styles inventory (Sternberg, 1997), learning strategies questionnaire (Pintrich, & De Groot, 1990). Students average was used as dependent measure. Multiple regression analysis and Pierson correlation was carried out to analyze data. The results showed that epistemological beliefs simplicity/ certainty knowledge and self regulated learning strategies were the meaningful predictors factors of student academic performance. Compared to self-regulating learning strategies, epistemological beliefs of simplicity/ certainty knowledge had higher beta value. Other variables were not meaningful predictors. Even though, some of the variables such as epistemological beliefs of Fixed/ quick learning and legislative thinking style did have negative and meaningful correlation with academic performance, but they excluded from regression equation. There is a possibility that these variables indirectly affect academic performance through affecting other variables.