Writing Samples and Instructional Conversations about ‘Good’ Argumentative Writing in a High School English Language Arts Classroom

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: The How and the Why: Exploring the Role of Argumentation in Academic Writing Contexts

Abstract

While a body of research in argumentation and argumentative writing has advanced the understanding of the teaching and learning of argumentation, relatively little research has attempted to examine the ways in which teacher and students engage in argumentation to explore the complexities around the critical issues. Primarily drawing upon Blommaert’s theoretical discussion on complexity and conducting a close analysis of classroom conversation and literacy events in an 11th-grade AP literature and composition class, we present a case to argue for a complexity-oriented instruction of literature-related argumentative writing. Findings indicate that the interactions between teacher and students are organized in a way to elucidate the intricacy and interdependence between elements of argumentation and between argumentation practice and its social contexts.

Authors

• Min-Young Kim, Grand Valley State University

• George E. Newell, The Ohio State University