Investigating the Argumentation Levels and Opinions of Middle School Students on Global Warming as a Socioscientific Issue

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate the argumentation levels and opinions of students within the context of an argumentation-based lesson in which global warming was addressed as a socioscientific issue. The study was conducted in a public middle school located in a district of Denizli in the second term of the 2021-2022 school year. The sampling consisted of a total of 60 students including 20 students from each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels. The study employed the case study design, one of the qualitative research methods. The data of the study were collected through written documents produced by the students and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive analysis was employed in determining the students' argumentation levels and content analysis was used for the analysis of the semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study indicated that most of the students thought the causes of global warming were mostly human induced. It was revealed that students' opinions underwent changes after listening to each other's ideas and arguments during the discussions, and students' argumentation levels increased in accordance with the grade levels.