The Epistemic Confluence Parity Paradox: A Multivariate Analysis of Gender and News Consumption on Trust in Science, Critical Thinking, and Resistance to Misinformation

This study examined how gender and average hours of news consumption relate to trust in science and scientists, critical thinking disposition, and resistance to misinformation among pre-service science teachers in Cavite, Philippines. Using a quantitative 2 × 2 factorial between-subjects design, 124 third-year Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Science students (62 males, 62 females) participated in a validated survey. The dependent variables were measured using established scales: Trust in Science and Scientists (Nadelson et al., 2014), Critical Thinking Disposition (Facione et al., 1994), and Resistance to Misinformation (Maertens et al., 2023), analyzed through a two-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Results revealed no significant main or interaction effects across gender or levels of news consumption on the combined dependent variables. These findings suggest that both male and female pre-service science teachers demonstrate comparable levels of trust in science, critical thinking, and misinformation resistance regardless of how much news they consume. The results highlight the possible impact of gender parity and equitable learning initiatives in Philippine higher education, as well as the idea that information literacy depends more on the quality rather than the quantity of news exposure. Implications for science teacher education and recommendations for future research on cognitive and affective predictors of misinformation resistance are discussed.