A new methodology for analysing argumentative reasoning

Abstract:

In this paper, we propose a methodological tool to analyse the argumentative reasoning expressed by high school students in a controversial context. Data were collected from a questionnaire that aims at investigating how they use evidence and relate them to different warrants in order to support their views. In the analysis, we classify the elements of an argument expressed by students. Then, we identify the complexity levels of the relationships established between elements of an argument in order to analyse students' expressed argumentative reasoning. The results show that the tool is promising, since it considers the elements and the relations between them that compose a given argument; contributes to the understanding of how students build their arguments to support their views; and it may be used in different contexts.

Keywords:
High school; Argumentative reasoning; Methodology of analysis; Argumentation