Taking Stock of Argument: Examining Research Trends in Argumentation in Science Education with Implications for Professional Development

Abstract - Such failings expose the weakness of science education that has placed its emphasis on what should be believed in rather than why something should be believed in.  In this lecture, I will present a case that argumentation should be a central aspect of science teaching and learning. Argumentation is a significant discourse process in scientific inquiry involving the coordination of theory and evidence. Like many unfamiliar or relatively underemphasized strategy, the implementation of argumentation in real science classroom will demand more than rhetoric. It will necessitate supportive professional development of science teachers. I will begin my discussion by visiting some of the trends in argumentation work since 1998 examining the literature exemplified in top science education journals. I will draw from the theoretical and empirical aspects of our work on argumentation including research and professional development projects funded by the ESRC, Nuffield Foundation and the European Union. I will conclude with some implications for future studies that will include the need to restructure science education to be more consistent with scientific modes of reasoning.

Recorded talk available on the intranet