Using Socioscientific Issues to Enhance Evidence-Based Reasoning Among Middle School Students

2019 ◽  
pp. 150-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wardell Anthony Powell ◽  
Danielle Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Socioscientific Issues ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
School Students ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Enrichment Program ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Argumentation Quality

This study investigated the implementation of a socioscientific issue curricular unit that was designed to enhance evidence-based reasoning among middle school students. Forty-three middle school students (11-12 years old; 20 males, 23 females) from a summer enrichment program operated by a non-profit organization in the northeastern United States participated in this study. The duration of this curricular unit took place over five consecutive 1-hour period blocks. The researchers utilized qualitative procedures to analyze students' abilities to engage in evidence-based reasoning and the impact it might have on students' argumentation quality on whether the air we breathe makes us sick. Comparison of the findings from pre-test and post-test indicate that students were able to use evidence-based reasoning to enhance their argumentation quality. The results from this investigation suggest that perhaps the use of socioscientific issues as a critical pedagogical tool does enhance students' abilities to engage in evidence-based reasoning.

Using Geospatial Technology to Promote Middle School Students' Critical Thinking on Socioscientific Issues

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wardell Anthony Powell
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Socioscientific Issues ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Geospatial Technologies ◽  
School Students ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Summer Enrichment ◽  
Enrichment Program ◽  
The Impact

This chapter is a demonstration of how to use geospatial technologies to promote middle school students' abilities to think critically and to argue persuasively on socioscientific issues. Forty-three sixth grade students from a summer enrichment program operated by a non-profit organization in the northeastern United States participated in this study. The duration of this curricular unit took place over five consecutive 1-hour period blocks. The researcher utilized qualitative procedures to analyze the students' abilities to think critically and to argue persuasively on socioscientific issues. The results indicate that the students' background knowledge on the impact of human activities on climate change was enhanced with the use of videos, graphics, audio-visuals, and other hands-on activities. Additionally, the knowledge the students gained from the events in this investigation enhanced their abilities to propose convincing arguments in opposition or support for the socioscientific issues investigated.

Teaching Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities to Comprehend Text Using Self-Questioning

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 276-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurice M. Joseph ◽  
Kelsey M. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
School Students ◽  
Reading Text ◽  
Progress Monitor

Middle school students with learning disabilities often struggle to gain meaning from text. Engaging in self-questioning is an effective strategy for comprehending text, however, middle school students with learning disabilities often do not naturally engage in self-questioning before, during, or after reading. These students may also have difficulty generating questions to ask themselves while reading text. This article presents evidence-based methods and specific instructional scaffolds for teaching middle school students with learning disabilities to generate questions on their own before, during, and after reading. A discussion of how to progress monitor students’ acquisition of self-questioning will also be provided.

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