Lecture note-taking is an active learning method that is widely used by students (Chen, 2019; Luo et al., 2016; Machida et al., 2018). It involves the use of note-taking strategies both in and after class (Bonner & Holliday, 2006; Chen, 2019; Kiewra and Dubois, 1998; Pauk, 2001). Chen (2019) provided evidence of the repertoire of college students’ lecture note-taking strategies. It was found that during class, the most frequently employed strategy was key point selection, followed by comprehension-monitoring, organisation, copying and elaboration. After class, the strategy employed most frequently was elaboration, followed by organisation and help-seeking. Moreover, student’s lecture note-taking strategies differed based on gender and field of major. Females are more likely than males to employ copying, key point selection, organisation and comprehension-monitoring strategies during class as well as elaboration, organisation and help-seeking strategies after class. Additionally, students majoring in humanities or social sciences are more likely than those majoring in the natural sciences to use key point selection strategy during class.

In this study, the researcher suggested that epistemological beliefs could be the antecedent of the use of lecture note-taking strategies other than gender and field of major. Epistemological beliefs are the beliefs about the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing (Hofer, 2000). Previous studies recognized a multidimensional structure of epistemological beliefs and agreed that four key dimensions should be considered: simplicity of knowledge, certainty of knowledge, source of knowledge and justification for knowing (Hofer & Bendixen, 2012; Hofer & Pintrich, 2002; Päuler-Kuppinger & Jucks, 2017). Students’ epistemological beliefs are likely to shape their perceptions of tasks and therefore how the tasks are approached (Bromme, Pieschl & Stahl, 2010; Muis, 2007). It was found that some dimensions of epistemological beliefs were correlated with or could predict learning strategies (Dahl, Bals & Turi, 2005; Kardash & Howell, 2000). Since lecture note-taking comprises multiple learning strategies, the relationship between students’ epistemological beliefs and their lecture note-taking strategies is worthy of attention. This study aimed to examine the correlations between the dimensions of epistemological beliefs and in- and after-class note-taking strategies among college students.

The survey participants were 1046 undergraduate students from ten Taiwanese universities. Among the participants, 628 were females and 418 were males; 422 were freshmen, 236 were sophomore students, 122 were junior students and 266 were senior students. The instrument used in this study comprised the Epistemological Beliefs Scale and the Lecture Note-Taking Strategies Scale. The Epistemological Beliefs Scale was adapted from the epistemological scales developed by Hofer (2000) and Liu (2005). It includes four subscales: simplicity of knowledge (4 items), certainty of knowledge (5 items), source of knowledge (4 items), and justification for knowing (5 items), for a total of 18 items. Four factors extracted from the scale could explain 61.19% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alphas for subscales and total scales were as follows: simplicity of knowledge (.79), certainty of knowledge (.86), source of knowledge (.77), justification for knowing (.78) and total scale (.80). The Lecture Note-Taking Strategies Scale was developed by Chen (2019), which included a scale for in-class note-taking strategies and a scale for after-class note-taking strategies. The in-class note-taking strategies scale had five subscales and contained 23 items: copying (6 items), key point selection (4 items), elaboration (3 items), organisation (4 items) and comprehension-monitoring (6 items). Five factors extracted from the scale could explain 57.16% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alphas for subscales and total scales were as follows: copying (.82), key point selection (.69), elaboration (.63), organisation (.76), comprehension-monitoring (0.79) and total scale (0.87). The after-class note-taking strategies scale contained three subscales and included 14 items: elaboration (5 items), organisation (5 items) and help-seeking (4 items). Three factors extracted from the scale could explain 64.75% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alphas for subscales and total scales were as follows: elaboration (.86), organisation (.86), help-seeking (.82) and total scale (.91). After the sampling had been completed, the researcher contacted the teachers of each selected class to discuss the survey. If teachers agreed to assist, then the survey was conducted as a group during class. The SPSS statistical software package was used to archive data and undertake statistical analyses. To understand the relationship between epistemological beliefs and in- and after-class note-taking strategies, two canonical correlation analyses were performed.

Three significant sets of canonical factors were found between four dimensions of epistemological beliefs and five in-class note-taking strategies. As seen by the first pair of canonical variables, the justification for knowing dimension and the use of four strategies (key point selection, elaboration, organisation and comprehension-monitoring), except for copying strategy, can positively influence each other. Since slight overlap was discovered in the second and third pairs of canonical variables, no further description will be provided. Two significant sets of canonical factors were found between four dimensions of epistemological beliefs and three after-class note-taking strategies. As seen by the first pair of canonical variables, the justification for knowing dimension and the use of three strategies (elaboration, organisation and help-seeking) can positively influence each other. Slight overlap was found in the second pair of canonical variables thus no further description will be provided. The above results show that justification for knowing is a key dimension of epistemological beliefs for the use of lecture note-taking strategies among college students.

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