Exploring the Development of Middle School Students’ Knowledge Construction Through a Critique-Based Recursive Writing Activity

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Select Topics in Middle School Science Education

Abstract

This study explores students’ development of understanding in science that emerged in writing samples as immersed in argumentation for learning science, and writing was used as argumentative practice. 41 9th grade students and 102 4th grade students engaged in a critique-based recursive writing activity that promoted students’ practice both roles of knowledge construction and critique. Four rubrics were used to examine knowledge differences that emerged in 9th grade students’ pre- and post-writing on a unit of Force and Motion in knowledge of content, argument, rhetoric, and multimodal representation. Data analysis suggests that this writing activity effectively encouraged students to engage in critique their ideas and texts, while ineffective for their deeper understanding of the topic, and using multiple representations.

Authors

• SaeYeol Yoon, Delaware State University

• Claudia Patricia Aguirre-Mendez, The University of Iowa

• Nurcan Keles, University of Iowa

• Brian Hand, University of Iowa