History Lessons in Evidence-Based Argumentation: Relationships Between Student Engagement and Classroom Culture

• In Event: Reading for Understanding: Initial Studies of Students and Teachers Using Multiple Sources in Content Areas

Abstract

Objectives: This study examines observations of history lessons for purposes of describing dimensions of classroom culture and activities in relationship to proposals regarding classrooms that engage students in developmentally appropriate practices of historical inquiry. This poster specifically presents three illustrative cases of patterns of co-occurring features that emerged from the observations and that differed in terms of student engagement in inquiry and argumentation.

Theoretical Framework: Evidence-based argumentation in history is engaging in disciplinary practices, or knowing how to “do” history (Lee, P., 2005). Classrooms that foster argumentation involve students actively asking and answering questions about the past. Students’ active participation is reflected in the discourse and tasks that focus on examination of claims and evidence, the “relations among facts,” and students explaining their reasoning (Spoehr & Spoehr, 1994). Teachers support argumentation through awareness of student thinking (von Aufschnaiter et al., 2007), providing space for risk taking, and modeling historical habits of mind (Vansledright & Kelly, 1988). Classroom culture encompasses the complex interaction of these multiple dimensions.

Methods & Data Sources: Data for this analysis were generated from 21 classroom observations conducted in Illinois and California middle and high school history and social studies classrooms in the context of Project READi (Goldman et al., 2009). The data include audio and video recordings of the observed lessons, field notes and observer analyses of lessons, and pre- and post-lesson interviews with the teachers.

The observations were coded for dimensions of classroom culture and classroom activities, including specific indicators of student engagement, quality of inquiry tasks, participation structures, and types and patterns of discourse. Classroom culture refers to the nature and purpose of the participation structures and routines as well as the indicators of classroom climate and norms. Classroom culture characterizes the purpose and implementation of the instructional strategies employed by teachers. Classroom activities refer to the nature, quality, and purpose of the tasks along with the types of supports provided by the teacher.

Findings & Analysis: Findings indicated three dominant patterns of co-occurring features of indicators of classroom culture and activities. This poster describes three classroom cases to illustrate each pattern. Case one illustrates classroom activities that involved student-centered inquiry and high levels of engagement evidenced by student-initiated discussions and students challenging each other’s claims. Case two illustrates classroom activities that were designed to encourage argumentation and while student’s appeared to be on-task and engaged in the classroom activity, their argumentation practices were limited by a text that failed to support multiple perspectives and insufficient teacher modeling. In case three, classroom activities did not support or lead to argumentation and students were off-task and disengaged.

Significance: The patterns of indicators demonstrate important interrelationships among tasks, texts, activity structures, and teacher— student positioning in the history classroom. In addition to informing unit designs for history, these patterns can inform larger-scale studies of relationships between classroom culture and student learning and achievement.

Authors

• Diane V. Puklin, University of Chicago

• Allison H. Hall, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Michael John Bolz, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Jacquelynn S. Popp, University of Illinois at Chicago