Exploratory Talk, Argumentation and Reasoning in Mexican Primary School Children

Abstract

The study analyses the effects of training primary school children in the use of a linguistic tool called 'Exploratory Talk' (ET) on their capacity for argumentation. ET allows for reasoned confrontation and negotiation of points of view, making the reasoning visible in the talk. Eighty-eight Mexican children from the 5th and 6th grades of primary school (10 to 12 years old), were assigned to either an experimental or control condition. Participants were administered an adapted version of the 'Standard Raven's Test of Progressive Matrices'. This was answered in small groups before and after training in ET was conducted with the experimental group. Experimental students, in comparison with control, produced significantly more and better arguments. They also presented their arguments in a more cohesive and explicit way, providing more links and supports to sustain their opinions, thus making their reasoning more visible in their language. These improvements had a highly significant effect on their capacity to solve problems. The study provides valuable information on the argumentative capacities of primary school children, on effective ways to promote them, and on the effect this training has on their use of discourse as well as their capacity for problem solving and knowledge construction.