Analysis of debating strategies in classroom in the field of biotechnology

International audienceBiotechnology applications are used in many different fields, from the chemicals industry to agriculture and from medical diagnoses to the pharmaceuticals and environmental sectors, and their repercussions are the subject of much debate. Argumentation is a key to the build-up of knowledge, and is a crucial aspect of scientific education in a democracy. The issue for educationalists is how to develop argumentation skills among pupils, so as to enable them to participate in debates as citizens. One of the main concerns is to enable pupils to identify and determine the validity of their emotional standpoints and of the arguments used by scientists, popularisers, teachers, other students and themselves. This paper presents a method for analysing the didactic strategies that have been put forward to develop pupils' argumentation skills in the area of biotechnology. Five supporting examples are considered. Our analysis focuses successively on the social characteristics at play and on the procedures recommended. Our aim is not to make value judgements, but to attempt to produce analytical tools to support designers and users of teaching materials in making their choices