Abstract
The study aimed at introducing scientific argumentation to students of elementary level in a
private school in Islamabad. The sample consists of 48 students of grade seven divided into
two sections serving as control and experimental group. The objectives of the study were to
experiment with teaching through argumentation, exploring the difficulty faced by students in
constructing argument and the effect of scientific argumentation on students’ academic
performance. The students in the experimental group were provided intervention for two
months (the maximum allowed duration by the school administration). Data were collected
through written argumentation reports and students’ performance in the bi-monthly
examination at the end of the experiment. Data were analyzed using inferential statistics. The
findings revealed students’ difficulty with constructing rebuttal in an argument. The academic
performance of the students in experimental group was significantly higher than the students
in the control group using t-test. Moreover, the academic performance of female students in
the experimental group was higher than the male students. Scientific argumentation was found
an effective instruction method for improving students’ understanding, developing critical
skills and constructing knowledge.
Muhammad Athar Hussain, Fayyaz Ahmad Faizi, Fazal ur Rahman. (2017) Engaging Elementary School Students in Scientific Argumentation: Effectiveness and Limitations , Journal of Elementary Education, Volume-27, Issue-1.
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