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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
Language: English
Authors: Maria Christoforaki (ORCID 0009-0003-3859-3470), Evangelia Mavrikaki, Apostolia Galani
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
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: Improving Primary School Students' Socio-Scientific Argumentation Skills through the Example Issue of Urban Heatwaves
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maria+Christoforaki%22">Maria Christoforaki</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3859-3470">0009-0003-3859-3470</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Evangelia+Mavrikaki%22">Evangelia Mavrikaki</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Apostolia+Galani%22">Apostolia Galani</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22European+Educational+Researcher%22"><i>European Educational Researcher</i></searchLink>. 2026 9(1):7-36.
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  Data: 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/
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 30
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Persuasive+Discourse%22">Persuasive Discourse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+and+Society%22">Science and Society</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate%22">Climate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Areas%22">Urban Areas</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Weather%22">Weather</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Skill+Development%22">Skill Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Game+Based+Learning%22">Game Based Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Effectiveness%22">Instructional Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Greece%22">Greece</searchLink>
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  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2517-6323
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: 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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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1500480
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1500480
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 30
        StartPage: 7
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Persuasive Discourse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science and Society
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Climate
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Areas
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Weather
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Skill Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Game Based Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Instructional Effectiveness
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      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Greece
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Improving Primary School Students' Socio-Scientific Argumentation Skills through the Example Issue of Urban Heatwaves
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            NameFull: Evangelia Mavrikaki
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            NameFull: Apostolia Galani
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