The Impact of Interdisciplinary Collaboration on Science and Religious Studies Teachers' Views of Argumentation

• In Event: Helping Science Teachers Attend to Language and Student Talk

Abstract

Argumentation, or the justification of knowledge claims with evidence and reasons has great relevance to many cross-curricular initiatives. Research has extensively reported the benefits of argumentation in fostering higher-order thinking in subjects like English and history. However, studies about teachers’ understanding and views of argumentation are limited particularly in subjects that are often positioned in opposition such as science and religious studies (RS). This paper focuses on an empirical study involving science and RS teachers who were collaborating on promoting argumentation as a higher-order skill in their lessons. The findings illustrate how the professional development (PD) program and teachers’ collaboration have influenced their views of teaching argumentation and cross-curricular learning. Implications shed light on PD design to support interdisciplinary collaboration.

Authors

• Jessica Chan, University of Oxford

• Sibel Erduran, University of Oxford