ERIC Number: EJ1021985
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1492-6156
EISSN: N/A
Introducing High School Biology Students to Argumentation about Socioscientific Issues
Dawson, Vaille; Venville, Grady
Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, v13 n4 p356-372 2013
The purpose of this research was to determine whether teaching argumentation to high school biology students improved their argumentation skills, informal reasoning, and genetics understanding. Using a quasi-experiment with mixed methods of data collection, five teachers participated in professional learning on argumentation and socioscientific issues and then explicitly taught argumentation skills in a genetics context. Using a written survey, the experimental group of students (n = 133) improved significantly more in their argumentation skills (p < 0.001), ability to use rational informal reasoning (p < 0.001), and genetics understanding (p < 0.001) than the control group of students (n = 160) who studied the same genetics topic without being taught argumentation skills.
Descriptors: High School Students, Biology, Science Instruction, Persuasive Discourse, Control Groups, Genetics, Thinking Skills, Surveys, Abstract Reasoning, Teaching Methods, Faculty Development, Quasiexperimental Design, Skill Development, Foreign Countries, Intervention, Units of Study, Scientific Concepts, Mixed Methods Research, Experimental Groups
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A