Understanding, Evaluating, and Promoting the Development of Argumentative Competence: An Interview With Dr. Deanna Kuhn From Teachers College, Columbia University

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to promote the understanding of the nature, development, and evaluation of argumentative competence so that teachers can feel more confident about incorporating argumentative activities into their teaching practices and assess and cultivate students’ argumentative competencies more effectively. Design/Approach/Methods The authors invited Dr. Deanna Kuhn to elaborate on her research findings and theoretical underpinnings regarding her 30 years of research that combined educational, psychological, and philosophical perspectives to conduct argumentation studies. Findings She asserted that argument should be studied not only as an individual skill but also as a social and cultural practice. She promoted the dialogic argumentation approach as a pathway for developing argumentative competence. She also emphasized that an integrated framework that links the cognitive, metacognitive, epistemological, and affective aspects of argumentative competence holds great promise to advance not only the theoretical study of argumentation but also the related empirical research, classroom practices, and evaluation reforms. Originality/Value Dr. Kuhn clarified key issues regarding the nature and development of argumentative competencies and elaborated on the values and implementations of the dialogic argumentation approach across cultures. She suggested that future researchers should study argumentation within a more integrative framework.