EGITIM VE BILIM, vol.49, no.219, pp.69-96, 2024 (SSCI)
This study investigated 35 middle school students’ argumentation
schemes in two different argumentative orientations, namely,
immersion orientation (i.e., learning of argument through
immersion) and socio-scientific orientation (i.e., emphasizing the
interaction between science and society) integrated into science
instruction in the heat and matter and electricity units. The research
design of this qualitative study is a single case and the study lasted
six weeks. While students produced their first-hand data in
immersion orientation, they used already available second-hand
data (e.g., evidence cards) in socio-scientific orientation. Data were
obtained from whole-class discussions, collected through
classroom observations, and analyzed deductively. Findings
showed students commonly used argument from position to know,
analogy, and evidence to hypothesis in immersion orientation,
whereas they used argument from sign, expert opinion, example,
correlation to cause, and consequence mainly in socio-scientific
orientation. These findings supported that the use of some
argumentation schemes can depend on the type of argumentative
orientation. A comparison of students’ argumentation schemes
used in different units when immersion orientation was used also
suggested that the use of argumentation schemes is independent of
the topic. Findings were discussed in detail regarding
argumentation schemes and specific suggestions were provided.