Heliyon (Dec 2022)
An empirical study on the scaffolding Chinese university students’ English argumentative writing based on toulmin model
Abstract
In first language studies, the Toulmin model of argumentation has become a prominent analysis and assessment method for English argumentative essays. However, there hasn't been much study on using argument theory to scaffold teaching in practice in second language classrooms. As a broad group of English learners, Chinese university students face numerous challenges when writing argumentative essays in English. As a result, in order to broaden the writing pathway for second language learners, this study employs the Toulmin argumentation model as a pedagogical scaffold. The effects of the argumentation model as a pedagogical scaffold on students' argumentative essay writing were examined on the pre-test and post-test results from both experimental and control groups. Overall scores and argumentative elements in terms of quantity, type, and quality were examined respectively. The mixed-effects model revealed that introducing the Toulmin model of argumentation into the scaffolding method had a significant impact on most argumentative elements in students' writing. The practical pedagogical implications and effects of Toulmin argumentative model have been discussed in detail in this paper.
