Argumentation in Physics Classes: Proposal of a Theoretical-Methodological Tool for the Construction and Analysis of Teaching Situations in the School Context

Abstract

Considering the potential of argumentative activity in the learning and development of students in science, the objective of this article is to present a proposal for a theoretical-methodological tool for the construction and analysis of argumentative activity in teaching situations. On the one hand, it is based on the pragma-dialectical theory of van Eemeren and Grootendorst (2004), which offers analytical instruments to understand argumentation as a discursive practice structured by speech acts and guided by the critical resolution of differences of opinion. On the other hand, it is based on the perspective of Edwards (1997), when discussing the logics of interaction and content present in everyday school life, understood as ways in which subjects construct and share knowledge in specific contexts — in this case, the school context. Based on the analysis of an example of a school situation, we highlight that the tool allows a deeper understanding of the process of building relationships with school knowledge in Physics classes, demonstrating how argumentative activity enhances this process.

Keywords

• argumentation
• school reality
• teaching physics