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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article 2 (Jun., 2014) |
Are science teachers prepared to promote argumentation? A case study with pre-service teachers in Bogotá city
Pablo Antonio ARCHILA
Superior Institute of Pedagogy, Education Master Program, Universidad Autónoma de Colombia, COLOMBIA
E-mail: pabloantonioarchila@yahoo.fr
Received 29 Apr., 2014
Revised 23 Jun., 2014
Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Methodology
- Findings
- The second finding responds to the question: Are future teachers prepared to manage spontaneous interventions of students in chemistry class?
- The third finding responds to the question: Are future teachers ready to promote argumentation in and from practical works?
- Discussion
- References
This paper addresses the importance of argumentation in science education. A research project was done in order to know how a group of pre-service chemistry teachers has been prepared to promote students’ argumentation. A Chemistry degree studies plan from a Colombian university was surveyed, and 18 future teachers’ representations about argumentation were analyzed. Results indicate argumentation is not an explicit priority for the pre-service chemistry teachers training program studied. Additionally, future teachers showed consciousness about the necessity of being prepared to engage students successfully in argumentative activities. Nonetheless, pre-service chemistry teachers manifest not to know how to design multiple methodologies to improve argumentation. Therefore, one of the multiple proposals of solution could be the incorporation of a module that allows pre-service chemistry teachers to build their own strategies to promote argumentation.
Keywords: argumentation, chemistry education, pre-service science teacher training, science education
