Middle school students' argumentation quality, uses of inscriptions and sources of knowledge, and epistemological beliefs in genetically modified organisms

Date

2024-8

Author

Bostancı, Burcu

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The main purpose of this study was to reveal middle school students' argumentation quality, use of inscriptions, and sources of knowledge regarding genetically modified organisms (GMO). It also aimed to identify predictors of students' argumentation quality based on their epistemological beliefs and use of sources of knowledge about GMO. The study sample consisted of 579 seventh and eighth-grade students from the Çankaya district of Ankara. Correlational research approach was employed. Data were collected using the Genetically Modified Organisms Task, including a case, open-ended questions, inscriptions, the Use of Sources of Knowledge Questionnaire, and the Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics showed that students had moderately sophisticated epistemological beliefs in justification, source/certainty, and development dimensions. They used a relatively high number of inscriptions, with mostly four out of six inscriptions they were asked to use. Students' argumentation quality was relatively low, as most students failed to generate counterarguments and rebuttals. They scored moderately low on the use of knowledge sources across all dimensions. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that argumentation quality correlated with all dimensions of epistemological beliefs and sources of knowledge except school resources. Moreover, visit and external resources were related to epistemological beliefs’ development and justification dimensions. Multiple regression analysis indicated that argumentation quality was predicted by epistemological beliefs (except development) and visit resources. The present study contributes to the literature by simultaneously examining relationships between cognitive and affective variables, which are important indicators of functional scientific literacy.

Subject Keywords

Argumentation Quality, Socioscientific Issues, Epistemological Beliefs, Inscriptions, Use of Sources of Knowledge

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/111374

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis