Li Xiaoshan, Li Yanyan, Wang Wenjing
School of Educational Technology/Smart Learning Institute, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100875 China.
School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100875 China.
Sci Educ (Dordr). 2023;32(1):123-168. doi: 10.1007/s11191-021-00288-x. Epub 2021 Nov 16.
Meaningful learning for conceptual change in science education should aim to help students change their existing misconceptions to develop an accurate understanding of scientific concepts. Although collaborative argumentation is assumed to support such processes, its value for conceptual change is unclear. Moreover, the roles of argumentative dialogue should be considered in studies on collaborative argumentation. In the present study, using a controlled experiment, we examined the value of collaborative argumentation for conceptual change in science education while fully considering the roles of argumentative dialogue. Twenty-three postgraduate students were each allocated to one of two conditions (individual argumentation [control group] and collaborative argumentation [experimental group]) and participated in two argumentation activities. The results revealed that collaborative argumentation had a delayed but long-lasting effect on conceptual change in science education (i.e., conceptual change induced by collaborative argumentation did not immediately indicate a significant improvement at the moments of argumentation but showed a significant improvement during the delay period). Collaborative argumentation provided opportunities for change in cognitive, ontological, intentional, and other aspects of learning. Dialogue protocol analysis revealed that long-lasting conceptual change was associated with a U-shaped pattern of argumentative dialogue (i.e., two high and one low: both deliberative argumentation and co-consensual construction frequently occurred, while disputative argumentation rarely occurred) in collaborative argumentation. A third argumentation activity was then conducted to confirm this unexpected finding. The results confirmed an association between long-lasting conceptual change and a U-shaped pattern of argumentative dialogue in collaborative argumentation. The current study sheds light on the value of collaborative argumentation for long-lasting conceptual change, deepening our understanding of whether conceptual gains from argumentation activities were contingent on a particular type of verbal dialogue powered by collaborative argumentation. Implications for science education were discussed.
科学教育中促进概念转变的有意义学习应旨在帮助学生改变现有的错误观念，以形成对科学概念的准确理解。尽管协作论证被认为有助于此类过程，但其对概念转变的价值尚不清楚。此外，在协作论证的研究中应考虑论证性对话的作用。在本研究中，我们通过一项对照实验，在充分考虑论证性对话作用的同时，考察了协作论证在科学教育中对概念转变的价值。23名研究生被分别分配到两种条件之一（个体论证[对照组]和协作论证[实验组]），并参与两项论证活动。结果表明，协作论证对科学教育中的概念转变具有延迟但持久的影响（即，协作论证引发的概念转变在论证时并未立即显示出显著改善，但在延迟期显示出显著改善）。协作论证为学习的认知、本体论、意向性和其他方面的改变提供了机会。对话协议分析表明，持久的概念转变与协作论证中论证性对话的U形模式相关（即两高和一低：审议性论证和共同协商构建频繁发生，而争议性论证很少发生）。然后进行了第三次论证活动以证实这一意外发现。结果证实了持久的概念转变与协作论证中论证性对话的U形模式之间的关联。本研究揭示了协作论证对持久概念转变的价值，加深了我们对论证活动带来的概念收获是否取决于协作论证驱动的特定类型的言语对话的理解。并讨论了对科学教育的启示。
