Activities for promoting small-group discussion and argumentation

Abstract

A research project undertaken with children in Year 6 was designed to investigate how children use evidence and argumentation in solving problems in science. The study focuses on four different activities that present children with a problem to solve and evidence to use, which they can discuss in small groups to make decisions. The study found that all groups were able to engage in the activities to some extent, but that good quality argumentation arose when children were familiar with working in this way, and when they took on positive roles within the group dynamic.