Productivities of Uncertainty Management in Argumentation

• In Event: 64.035 - Research on Learning About and Engaging in Scientific Practices

Abstract

Argumentation is a dialogic practice that is naturally pervaded by uncertainty. However, the understanding of using resources to create productive moments is limited. This study aims to examine how resources of epistemic understanding of argument and social negotiation were adapted to manage uncertainty and how the two resources affect productiveness of argumentation. We use qualitative interpretative approach to analyze 2th, 5th, 7th and 10th-grade science classrooms transcription. We identified four patterns of productivity in uncertainty management: (1) productive failure, (2) productive success, (3) unproductive failure and (4) unproductive success. At the end, we discussed how teachers and students use different resources of epistemic understanding of argument and social negotiation to manage uncertainty might result in different patterns of productivity.

Authors

• Ratrapee Inging Techawitthayachinda, Arizona State University

• Ying-Chih Chen, Arizona State University

• Chin-Chung Tsai, National Taiwan Normal University