ERIC Number: EJ1254075
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Apr
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1069-4730
EISSN: N/A
A Systematic Review of Argumentation Related to the Engineering-Designed World
Wilson-Lopez, Amy; Strong, Ashley R.; Hartman, Christina M.; Garlick, Jared; Washburn, Karen H.; Minichiello, Angela; Weingart, Sandra; Acosta-Feliz, Jorge
Journal of Engineering Education, v109 n2 p281-306 Apr 2020
Background: Across academic disciplines, researchers have found that argumentation-based pedagogies increase learners' achievement and engagement. Engineering educational researchers and teachers of engineering may benefit from knowledge regarding how argumentation related to engineering has been practiced and studied. Purpose/Hypothesis: Drawing from terms and concepts used in national standards for K-12 education and accreditation requirements for undergraduate engineering education, this study was designed to identify how arguments and argumentation related to the engineering-designed world were operationalized in relevant literature. Methodology: Specified search terms and inclusion criteria were used to identify 117 empirical studies related to engineering argumentation and educational research. A qualitative content analysis was used to identify trends across these studies. Findings: Overall, engineering-related argumentation was associated with a variety of positive learner outcomes. Across many studies, arguments were operationalized in practice as statements regarding whether an existing technology should be adopted in a given context, usually with a limited number of supports (e.g., costs and ethics) provided for each claim. Relatively few studies mentioned empirical practices, such as tests. Most studies did not name the race/ethnicity of participants nor report engineering-specific outcomes. Conclusions: Engineering educators in K-12 and undergraduate settings can create learning environments in which learners use a range of epistemic practices, including empirical practices, to support a range of claims. Researchers can study engineering-specific outcomes while specifying relevant demographics of their research participants.
Descriptors: Persuasive Discourse, Engineering Education, Design, Educational Research, Elementary Secondary Education, Undergraduate Study, Learner Engagement, Outcomes of Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Information Analyses
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1552567