Skills to argue: using argument-based learning (AbL) and socio-scientific issues to promote university students’ argumentation skills in chemistry

Abstract

Abstract Skills in making scientific argumentations are crucial for students to understand science concepts. This study had used an argument-based learning (AbL) adopting Toulmin’s Argumentation Pattern (TAP) and socio-scientific issues about heavy metals to promote the argumentation skills of the Indonesian university chemistry students. The effect of AbL in promoting the skills had been compared to Jigsaw and two-stay-two-stray (TSTS) learning that had been used in an earlier study. Data were collected using open-ended tests and observations. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to analyze the data. The results showed that the argumentation scale of the AbL-students was better than and significantly-different from the argumentation scale of those in the other classes (Tukey-test; p<.05). Distinct opportunities the students had in each class to use the TAP was the factor that produced the scale differences. The results recommend the importance of involving students in a learning that mostly promotes argumentation activities-like the AbL-to develop the students’ argumentation skills in science.