Improving Primary School Students' Socio-Scientific Argumentation Skills through the Example Issue of Urban Heatwaves
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| Title: | Improving Primary School Students' Socio-Scientific Argumentation Skills through the Example Issue of Urban Heatwaves |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Maria Christoforaki (ORCID |
| Source: | European Educational Researcher. 2026 9(1):7-36. |
| Availability: | European Educational Researcher. University of Seville Faculty of Education, Department of Teaching and Educational Organization, Pirotecnia 41013 Seville, Spain. Tel: +34-955-420590; Fax: +34-954-554306; e-mail: editor@eu-er.com; Web site: https://eu-er.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 30 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education Grade 5 Intermediate Grades Middle Schools |
| Descriptors: | Elementary School Students, Persuasive Discourse, Science and Society, Climate, Urban Areas, Weather, Foreign Countries, Grade 5, Skill Development, Game Based Learning, Instructional Effectiveness, Gender Differences, Academic Achievement |
| Geographic Terms: | Greece |
| ISSN: | 2517-6323 |
| Abstract: | The increasing frequency and intensity of urban heatwaves reshapes environmental and social realities globally. These phenomena not only challenge the resilience of urban ecosystems but also call attention to the importance of developing scientific literacy and reasoning skills at a primary level. Situated within these pressing socio-environmental conditions, this study examines the way in which primary school students engage in socio-scientific argumentation (SSA) when reasoning about urban heatwave mitigation. Drawing upon Toulmin's argumentation model as theoretical lens to explore both the structure and content of students' arguments and to trace how these evolve through targeted intervention, a qualitative-dominant design was employed involving 148 5th-grade students in Greece, with quantitative summaries used descriptively to illustrate trends and shifts in argumentation components. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention digital questionnaires and structured worksheets. Students' written responses were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis, guided by a rubric that assessed both the structural coherence and content quality of their arguments, while frequencies and shift analysis provided descriptive insights into changes across demographic variables. The instructional intervention centered on the serious game Heatwave City, designed to immerse learners in authentic decision-making scenarios around urban sustainability. Findings revealed that pre-intervention arguments were largely fragmented and weakly supported by evidence, whereas post-intervention data indicated more consistent articulation of claims and increased use of relevant scientific information, particularly in questionnaire responses. Advances in reasoning and counter-argumentation were more limited, with these components remaining largely at emergent levels. We conclude by offering recommendations for fostering students' engagement with SSA through sustained, dialogic, model-based, and game-enhanced learning environments. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1500480 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The increasing frequency and intensity of urban heatwaves reshapes environmental and social realities globally. These phenomena not only challenge the resilience of urban ecosystems but also call attention to the importance of developing scientific literacy and reasoning skills at a primary level. Situated within these pressing socio-environmental conditions, this study examines the way in which primary school students engage in socio-scientific argumentation (SSA) when reasoning about urban heatwave mitigation. Drawing upon Toulmin's argumentation model as theoretical lens to explore both the structure and content of students' arguments and to trace how these evolve through targeted intervention, a qualitative-dominant design was employed involving 148 5th-grade students in Greece, with quantitative summaries used descriptively to illustrate trends and shifts in argumentation components. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention digital questionnaires and structured worksheets. Students' written responses were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis, guided by a rubric that assessed both the structural coherence and content quality of their arguments, while frequencies and shift analysis provided descriptive insights into changes across demographic variables. The instructional intervention centered on the serious game Heatwave City, designed to immerse learners in authentic decision-making scenarios around urban sustainability. Findings revealed that pre-intervention arguments were largely fragmented and weakly supported by evidence, whereas post-intervention data indicated more consistent articulation of claims and increased use of relevant scientific information, particularly in questionnaire responses. Advances in reasoning and counter-argumentation were more limited, with these components remaining largely at emergent levels. We conclude by offering recommendations for fostering students' engagement with SSA through sustained, dialogic, model-based, and game-enhanced learning environments. |
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| ISSN: | 2517-6323 |
