TRACING STUDENTS' QUALITY OF ARGUMNENTATION IN SIMULATED PARLIAMENT ACTIVITIES

The present research study reports the use of Toulmin’s Argument Pattern (TAP) approach as a tool for tracing the quality of argumentation in science teaching and exploring its effective application in enhancing students’ cognitive knowledge. The study is part of the European Student Parliaments project which aims at strengthening the dialogue between students and scientists throughout Europe. The context of simulated parliament procedures provides the ground for the teaching and learning of argumentation in an authentic context. In addition, it provides a structured frame for the informed and guided implementation of argumentation methodologies in science teaching. To address the research objectives analytical tools for evaluating the quality of argumentation and students’ cognitive enhancement were developed based on TAP. The research findings show that there was significant improvement in the quality of students' argumentation and cognitive development regarding their critical approach to scientific concepts. Keywords: Argumentation, EUSP, TAPThe oral presentation and the poster presentation are also provided