Explicit Instruction of Scientific Argumentation in Practical Work: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Mastery regarding argumentation in science among high school biology students remains elusive. This study argues that argumentation can be explicitly taught and acquired through an explicit instruction revolving around argumentation. A teaching and learning module named as the LAB-MADI Module was developed to provide secondary biology students an environment to practice and acquire argumentation skills from reasoning based on evidence through practical work. An initial draft of the LAB-MADI Module for laboratory investigation was pilot studied in one of the schools with a group of twenty-two (n = 22) Grade 10 students (aged 16 years) from a pure science class taking biology as an examination subject. The results of the pilot study showed that the activities are able to improve students' argumentation skills.

Explicit Teaching of Scientific Argumentation as an Approach in Developing Argumentation Skills, Science Process Skills and Biology Understanding

“…Data were measured based on a) the argumentative essay the students wrote which was set under the Argumentation Skills Test (UKH), b) the written practical test set under the Science Process Skills Test (UKPS) and c) the multiple choice test under Understanding of Diffusion and Osmosis Concept Test (UKRO). The format and development of the instruments for UKH, UKPS and UKRO have been presented in other papers along with the determination of the instruments' validity and reliability (Ping et al, 2019a;2019b). All instruments were framed in the context of Malaysia based on the Curriculum Specification for the subject of Biology (MOE 2012); hence, the instruments are aligned with the Biology Curriculum which is designed for the Malaysian education system.…”

“…The conceptual framework of the research in relation to the MADI approach in which the MADI model was used and the process of determining the content validity of the LAB-MADI Module have been presented in a different paper (Ping & Osman, 2019). Meanwhile, the details of the LAB-MADI Module and the result of the pilot test study have been presented in another paper (Ping et al, 2019a). A summary of the research procedures as discussed below including the intervention procedures following the type of group involved is presented in Table 2.…”

Item Analysis of Measuring Stem Teachers’ Practice in Higher-Order Thinking Skills Questioning Using Rasch Model

“…STEM teachers' attitude, motivation and inner belief towards practising HOTS questions also cause this issue to exist (Tengku Ariffin et al, 2018). Also, they even did not have an opportunity to verbalize open-ended questions with accurate scientific language based on the STEM content (Ping et al, 2019). Some of them refused to pursue HOTS learning outcomes but more concern in completing certain learning content specific goals for high-stake examinations (Perera & Asadullah, 2019;Yen & Halili, 2015).…”