The Effect of Argumentation-Based Social Studies Teaching on Academic Achievement, Attitude and Critical Thinking Tendencies of Students

Nazile Yılmaz-Özcan,Sanem Tabak

doi:10.26822/iejee.2019257669

Abstract

Argumentation-based learning is quite important for individuals to gain a place in social life, to adapt themselves to it, to solve the problems they encounter and to make critical and scientific approaches. At this point, it is considered that students would be supported to solve problems efficiently, to establish a cause-effect relationship and to research the scientific ground of a problem by implementing it to social studies course. Therefore, the aim of this research was determined as revealing the effect of argumentation-based learning in the fourth-grade social studies course on the academic achievement, attitude and critical thinking ability of students. The research was conducted in the academic year of 2017 - 2018 in an elementary school located in the Altinordu district of Ordu province and for the “Humans, Earth and Environment” which is in the curriculum of fourth-grade social studies course. The study group of the research consists of a total of 51 students, 27 students in the experimental group and 24 students in the control group. The research was designed with mixed method. The quantitative part of the research was based on the pre-test post-test control grouped model and the qualitative part of the research was based on the basic qualitative research model. In the research, subject area achievement test, attitude towards the social studies course scale and UF/EMI Critical Thinking Tendency Scale and six activities that were developed in accordance with the argumentation-based learning approach were used as data collection tools. As a result of the research, it was determined that in social studies course in which argumentation-based learning is performed, the levels and qualities of the arguments that were developed by the students showed an increase throughout the research. Furthermore, it was concluded that with the argumentation-based learning in social studies course, positive developments were observed in the academic achievement, attitude towards the social studies course and critical thinking ability of students.

Highlights

Curricula are prepared for individuals to develop as people who pay attention to experiences, take an active part in social life and produce solutions to problems
Possession of certain high-level thinking skills such as critical thinking, discussing, decision making, and scientific thinking are required in order for individuals to produce solutions to the problems they encounter in the present day
It is considered that forming a basis for the social studies curricula allowing students to apply the information they learn in daily life and to transform it into skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making will increase the effect of the social studies course on the life of the individuals (Önal & Kaya, 2011: 27)

Summary

Introduction

Curricula are prepared for individuals to develop as people who pay attention to experiences, take an active part in social life and produce solutions to problems. Social studies courses are considered an important field in keeping up with changes by ensuring students understand the world For this reason, in order for students to understand the social studies course meaningfully, the necessity of establishing a cause-effect relationship, problem-solving and researching comes to prominence. Kabapınar (2014) emphasized that knowledge is a means rather than an end in the acquisition of social studies skills For this reason, students are required to acquire knowledge about problem-solving, researching, establishing a cause-effect relationship and developing new projects in order for learning that occurs in social studies courses to be permanent and meaningful. Students would gain skills such as explaining and defending their opinions, asserting new claims and defending these claims This situation would ensure students are more active, curious, and can research and in addition, can express themselves better. It is considered that the contribution of argumentation-based learning would be significant in the efficient provision of this process (Aydın & Kaptan, 2014, s. 166)

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