Scientific Argumentation Practice and Verbal Interaction in Chemistry Classroom Among 10th Grade Students

Practicing scientific argumentation is believed capable of nurturing higher order thinking and scientific literacy among students. Yet, it has not been well practiced as evidenced by typical classroom teaching activity. The purpose of this research is, to study the practice of scientific argumentation among chemistry teachers through the argument level and classroom verbal interaction pattern. Four chemistry teachers and their students from Johor Bahru, a district of Johor was selected as the participants of this qualitative research. Five observations for each teacher had been conducted and observation become the principal method of data collection. Findings shows that the scientific argumentation being constructed in class was only at Level 1 (7%), Level 2 (54%) and Level 3 (39%). No higher and complex argumentations were found. Two interaction patterns, Initiation-Response-Evaluation/Feedback (IRE/IRF) (18%) and Initiation-Response-Feedback-Response-Feedback (IRFRF) (82%) were detected when teacher were practicing scientific argumentation. The interaction pattern practices, IRFRF is good, yet the argumentation being constructed is still at low level as higher argumentation seems to be beyond the samples’ ability. A further research probing into how IRFRF interaction pattern can be further enhanced to nurture complex argumentation is needed.