Erwin, T.

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Journal 2
By
Tyler Erwin
Teaching Science in Middle and Secondary School
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September 12, 2016

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The Journal Can Be Found At http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.20276/abstract

The paper that I decided to look at for this journal entry discusses the paper titled
"Assessment of the Ways Students Generate Arguments in Science Education: Current
Perspectives and Recommendations for Future Directions." This paper is from the Department
of Middle and Secondary Education from Florida State University and discuss the
implementation of argument and argumentation in the science classroom. The given
definitions for arguments and argumentations are the artifacts that a student or a group of
students create when asked to articulate and justify claims or explanations and the process
of constructing these artifacts. (Sampson & Clark, 2008).
In this study, they examine several different methods and frameworks that students use to help
form these artifacts to evaluate the how to best implement them into instruction so we as
educators can provide our students with the best possible chance to form artifacts that are
meaningful to the students. This journal does not have a typical methods or results section as a
typically scientific study would, in the place of these sections the study explains all of the
methods and frameworks that they are looking at for the study. The conclusion of this paper is
unique because it strays from the standard conclusion/discussion sections and breaks the
conclusion section into eight unique sections discussing the different aspects of their findings
ranging how to implement this content throughout different frameworks to the justification of
use in those frameworks. (Sampson & Clark, 2008)
My overall reaction to this article can be best described as overwhelmed for some reasons. The
first of which being that I have no experience with some of the frameworks that they discussed,
and I am the kind of person that needs to see something used before I can fully appreciate its use

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and how to use it properly. I can understand the theory behind how things like the use of term
papers that the Kelly and Takao framework discuss but without seeing the actual results or seeing
it take place I feel that I am missing some aspect of the framework. I feel that this paper was
beyond my depth of knowledge, and I cannot explain the information that was presented. I
personally understand the importance of using different frameworks and methods to help the
students form a meaningful attachment to the information that is being presented so that they do
not only just remember the information through to their next exam or paper they can use the
information that they learn as a foundation for the student to build off of for future learning in the
class, other classes, and possibly even later in life. (Sampson & Clark, 2008)

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References
Sampson, V., & Clark, D. B. (2008). Assessment of the ways students generates arguments in
science education: Current perspectives and recommendations for future directions. Science
Education, 92(3), 447472. http://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20276