Strategies to Support Student Argument and Argumentative Writing in a Secondary STEM Classroom
Abstract
Argumentation is a critical goal of today’s schools as a way to develop rational citizens who can critique the validity claims about phenomenon in society and the natural world. This work reviews current educational research about the best practices when it comes to teaching and using argumentation in STEM disciplines. As a result of this literature review, three strategies are identified and implemented in a secondary STEM classroom to determine their impact. The specific strategies used to support argumentation were a clear argument structure, collaborative discourse, and engaging, inquiry based tasks. While the sample size is small, the literature review and this action-research suggest that these strategies are successful in strengthening students’ written arguments.Collections
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