Research Information System
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference, Vancouver, Canada, 27 - 30 March 2022, pp.282
This study focused on investigating the relationship between middle
school students’ epistemological beliefs, argument quality, and informal
reasoning across three different SSI, namely, space explorations (SPE), genetically
modified organisms (GMO) and nuclear power plants (NPP). Correlational design
was adopted. Total of 101 students (39 female, 62 male) were constituted the
participants. Written arguments were coded based on the Lakatos’ Scientific
Research Programmes and SEE-SEP Model. It was found that students displayed the
most sophisticated epistemological beliefs on justification. It was found that
the participants had the highest total score on SPE, and mostly reported that
they are sure of their decisions, however they generated less than one PH and
NH for each SSI. Participants mostly used value regardless of the SSI topic;
the arguments were mostly from the subject area of science. Correlation
analysis revealed that source/certainty was positively correlated with PH and
NH on SPE; NH on NPP topic. Development was positively correlated with NH on
NPP. Justification was positively correlated with PH and NH; and the total
score on SPE. Total codes used while generating counter-arguments on NPP was
positively correlated with both source/certainty and development. Justification
was positively correlated with total codes used while generating
counter-arguments on SPE.