Argumentation-oriented Science Instruction

Using argumentation for teaching and learning science is a hot research question in current international science education research field. Instead of "Getting an answer","Science as exploration and experiment","Providing answers to questions about science content" and "Concluding inquiries with the result of the experiment", current science education is turning to "Using evidence and strategies for developing or revising an explanation","Science as argument and explanation","Communicating science explanations" and "Applying the results of experiments to scientific arguments and explanations" for scientifically literate citizens. Underlying in this trending and background, this study explored the theory and practice of argumentation-oriented science instruction in science education.This study focused on the core question of "what is the argumentation-oriented science instruction, and how it is developed in the teaching and learning practice?" To answer the research question, the study employed several research methodologies including literature research, case study, interview, descriptive research and comparative analysis to explore the theory and practice of argumentation-oriented science instruction, and achieved the following research results.First, the study defined the conception of argumentation and argumentation-oriented science instruction, stated the relationship between argumentation-oriented science instruction and inquiry-based science instruction, and clarified the historical development and present situation of researches on argumentation-oriented science instruction. Argumentation-oriented science instruction is concordant with inquiry-based science instruction, with enriching and developing inquiry-based science instruction. However, the former stresses more on the development and application of evidence, the communication and explanation for the learning process and learning outcomes,the epistemology, experiences as well as practices on "the production of knowledge" and "the assessment of knowledge". Researches on argumentation-oriented science instruction started in1980s, and gradually got recognized and emphasized after the publication of National Science Education standards in1996. The current researches are mainly on four aspects including researches on developing analytical methods and frameworks for students’argumentations and assessing the students’argumentative ability, researches on developing right materials and instructional strategies for supporting argumentation-oriented science instruction, researches on the discourses analysis of interactions underlying argumentation-oriented science instruction as well as researches on the designing and development of computer-supported argumentation-oriented science instruction. Second, the study explained the implications of argumentation in science instruction. Based on the potential contributions from argumentation, the functions of argumentation in science instruction were analyzed. The importance of argumentation in science instruction was demonstrated via the discussion of argumentation and scientific literacy, and the exhibition of argumentative content in science curriculum standards as well as science curriculums. Then, different structures and patterns of argumentation were analyzed with integrating the content of science instruction to further explain the process and meaning of argumentation in science instruction. The assessments of the quality of argumentation were also analyzed from the current researches on argumentation-oriented science instruction.Third, the study elaborated nature of argumentation-oriented science learning. It has three aspects, which are a process of reasoning (intrapsychological argumentation), a process of producing dialogues (interpsychological argumentation), and a process of critical thinking (core of argumentation). These three aspects are interlaced with each other while each of them has its own focus. Understanding the nature of argumentation-oriented science learning could help teachers do argumentation-oriented science teaching better.Forth, the study explored the application of argumentation-oriented science instruction. Based on the analyzing of six dimensions, it was stated that argumentation-oriented science instruction is appropriate for two different science learning areas which are scientific conception learning and socio-scientific issues. The concrete instructional strategies in these two areas are different. It was stressed that applying argumentation-oriented science instruction should be in a learning community full with safety and inquiry. The study took safety, authentic participation, challenge and ownership as four fulcrums to create a learning community and constructed a decision-making model for teaching argumentation.The last, the study did a practical research of argumentation-oriented science instruction using a case study. It explored two teachers using argumentation-oriented science instruction for teaching a socio-scientific issue of "land development and environmental protection" and got four research conclusions:(a) The applied instructional strategies of argumentation-oriented science instruction got enriched and developed in the teaching process comparing with the designed instructional strategies, and teachers’ teaching philosophy effected the development of instruction and the outcome of students’ learning;(b) Conducting analysis on the discourse of interactions for the two classes and found they had intercommunity and differences. The intercommunity is on evidence supporting, rebuttal and inquiry, teacher guiding data and evidence using, teacher helping solve rebuttal and inquiry, and students’ prior knowledge influencing the development of argumentation. The differences are on student’s participation, Off-Topic Conversation, sources of evidences and the developmental degree of argumentation.(c) Conducting analysis on students’ reflections on argumentative activities and found the E class took evidence as the core of argumentative activity while the T class took speaking as the core of it. Both of the classes encountered difficulties on data searching and organizing. Both of the classes realized that argumentative activity could promote multiple thinking but it required huge work and much time,(d) Conducting analysis on the two teachers’ reflections on argumentative activities and found teacher E took the development of evidence as the core of argumentation activity while teacher T took students can make speaking as the core of it. Both of the two teachers found they paid more attention on the development of argumentation than on individual student learning.The study fully demonstrated that argumentation is an effective way and strategy for teaching and learning science. It has distinguished contributions on developing students’ high-order thinking, getting understanding of nature of science and improving scientific literacy. More researches and practices of argumentation-oriented science instruction are expected to improve traditional science instruction in our country.