CAREER: Supporting Middle School Students' Construction of Evidence-based Arguments

职业：支持中学生构建循证论证

• 批准号: 0953046
• 负责人: Brian Belland
• 金额: $ 55.54万
• 依托单位: Utah State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-08-15 至 2017-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0953046&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Supporting; Middle; Students; Construction

Doing science requires that students learn to create evidence-based arguments (EBAs), defined as claims connected to supporting evidence via premises. The question chosen for study by a new researcher at Utah State University is: How can argumentation ability be enhanced among middle school students? This study involves 325 middle school students in 12 class sections from 3 school districts in Utah and Idaho. First, students in middle school science classrooms will be introduced to problem-based learning (PBL) units that allow them to investigate ill-structured science problems. These activities provide students with something about which to argue: something that they have explored personally and with which they have grappled. Next, they will construct arguments using a powerful computer technology, the Connection Log, developed by the PI. The Connection Log provides a scaffold for building arguments, allowing each student to write about his/her reasoning and compare it to arguments built by peers. The study investigates how the Connection Log improves the quality of students' arguments. It also explores whether students are able to transfer what they have learned to new situations that call for argumentation.This study is set in 6th and 7th grade science classrooms with students of diverse SES, ethnicity, and achievement levels. The Connection Log software supports middle school students with written prompts on a computer screen that take students through the construction of an argument. The system allows students to share their arguments with other members of their PBL group. The first generation version of the Connection Log asks students to: 1. define the problem, or state the problem in their own words 2. determine needed information, or decide on evidence they need to find to solve the problem3. find needed information and record it 4. organize information to make it useful for developing their claims 5. develop a claim, or make an assertion stating a possible problem solution 6. link evidence to claim, linking specific, relevant data to assertions The model will be optimized through a process of design-based research. The study uses a mixed methods research design employing argument evaluation tests, video, interviews, database information, debate ratings, and a mental models measure, to evaluate student progress. This study is important because research has shown that students do not automatically come to school prepared to create evidence-based arguments. Middle school students face three major challenges in argumentation: adequately representing the central problem of the unit; determining and obtaining the most relevant evidence; and synthesizing gathered information to construct a sound argument. Argumentation ability is crucial to STEM performance and to access to STEM careers. Without the ability to formulate arguments based upon evidence, middle school students are likely to be left out of the STEM pipeline, avoid STEM careers, and have less ability to critically evaluate and understand scientific findings as citizens. By testing and refining the Connection Log, the project has the potential for scaling up for use in science classrooms (and beyond) throughout the United States.

做科学要求学生学会创建基于证据的论点（EBA），定义为通过前提与支持证据相关联的主张。犹他州州立大学的一位新研究人员选择研究的问题是：如何提高中学生的论证能力？ 这项研究涉及来自犹他州和爱达荷州3个学区的12个班级的325名中学生。首先，学生在中学科学教室将介绍以问题为基础的学习（PBL）单元，让他们调查结构不良的科学问题。这些活动为学生提供了一些可以争论的东西：一些他们亲自探索过的东西，以及他们努力解决的东西。接下来，他们将使用PI开发的强大的计算机技术连接日志来构建论点。连接日志为构建论点提供了一个支架，允许每个学生写下他/她的推理，并将其与同龄人构建的论点进行比较。本研究探讨了连接日志如何提高学生的辩论质量。 它还探讨了学生是否能够转移他们所学到的新情况下，要求argumentation.This研究设置在6日和7日年级的科学教室与不同的SES，种族和成绩水平的学生。连接日志软件支持中学生在电脑屏幕上的书面提示，通过一个论点的建设学生。该系统允许学生与PBL小组的其他成员分享他们的论点。连接日志的第一代版本要求学生：1。定义问题，或者用自己的话陈述问题2.确定所需的信息，或决定他们需要找到解决问题的证据3。找到需要的信息并记录下来4.组织信息，使其对发展其权利要求有用5.提出一个要求，或作出一个断言，说明一个可能的问题解决方案6.将证据与主张联系起来，将具体的相关数据与断言联系起来。该研究采用了混合方法的研究设计，采用参数评估测试，视频，访谈，数据库信息，辩论评级和心理模型的措施，以评估学生的进步。 这项研究很重要，因为研究表明，学生不会自动来到学校准备创建基于证据的论点。 中学生在论证中面临三大挑战：充分代表本单元的中心问题;确定并获得最相关的证据;综合收集的信息以构建合理的论点。论证能力对于STEM表现和进入STEM职业至关重要。如果没有能力根据证据制定论点，中学生可能会被排除在STEM管道之外，避免STEM职业，并且作为公民批判性地评估和理解科学发现的能力较低。通过测试和改进连接日志，该项目有可能扩大规模，在整个美国的科学教室（和超越）使用。