Elaboração e aplicação de uma ferramenta para análise do diálogo em sala de aula: um estudo em atividades de ensino fundamentado em modelagem nos contextos cotidiano, científico e sociocientífico

Abstract

Studies in Science Education have emphasised the contributions of scientific practices-based teaching to students’ learning of science, about science, and how to do science. However, few empirical studies investigate the contributions of integrating scientific practices like argumentation and modelling to students’ learning. Furthermore, in general, studies about argumentation are focused on its products. Such studies usually use questionnaires and\or interviews before and after students’ participation in an intervention. Some of these studies use evidence of the process to support results obtained by the post-test. However, the argumentative process is not analysed deeply. Therefore, we inferred that the possible controversies about the contributions of argumentation for learning science and about science in different contexts could be related to methodological aspects. In order to contribute to knowledge in the area, studies that also investigate the argumentative process are necessary. In order to do so, one of the options may be the creation and use of tools based on aspects of the dialogue theory that aim to analyse students and teachers’ argumentation in different contexts. In this study, we investigated students’ argumentation in modelling-based teaching situations involving ordinary, scientific, and socio-scientific contexts from a new tool based on aspects of the dialogue theory. One didactic unit consisting of three sets of modelling activities was applied in two regular Chemistry classes. Data collection involved audio and video recording of all classes, the researcher’s participant observation, field notes, and register of the artefacts produced by the students. After the selection of two groups of students and intense interaction with the data gathered from multiple sources, a case study was drawn up. The new tool was used for analysing the data. The contributions of this study involve the production and application of a tool to analyse data gathered in regular teaching contexts, and to support further discussions about the relationships between argumentation and student participation in modelling activities involving different contexts. Implications to science teaching and research related to the use of the new tool in the analysis of argumentative situations are presented.