Over the last two decades, research on teachers’ beliefs has received much attention
from educators, as the educational paradigm has shifted from behaviorism to
constructivism (Kang and Keys 2000). Constructivists may assert that people’s
subsequent actions and thoughts are mainly based on their ideas constructed
earlier. Consequently, many educators agree that teachers’ beliefs may, in some
way, affect teachers’ instructional practice (Nespor 1987, Pajares 1992). Research
on teachers’ beliefs has thus become one of the major concerns for studies of
teaching and teacher education (e.g.Tilemma 1994, Tirri et al. 1999, Holt-
Reynolds 2000).