Development and implementation of the science-technology-society learning unit to enhance grade 10 student’s scientific argumentation

This case study aimed to enhance students’ scientific argumentation through the Science-Technology-Society (STS) approach. There were two phases in this study: a) Exploring the current situation of grade 10 students’ scientific argumentation in real classrooms, and b) Developing and implementing the STS learning unit to enhance students’ scientific argumentation. In the first phase, the researchers observed two science classrooms located in urban and rural areas. The scientific argumentation-related interactions in those classrooms were analyzed by using the Toulmin’s Argument Pattern (TAP) framework. The findings revealed that the students in observed classrooms could provide some claims; but they lacked an ability to link their claims with appropriate evidence and warrants. The researchers utilized the data from the first phase to develop one learning unit based on the STS approach for enhancing grade 10 students’ scientific argumentation. The learning unit developed consisted of six lesson plans in the Work and Energy topic that covered seven teaching hours. The learning units was implemented in one grade 10 science classroom with 20 students in Khon Kaen province, Thailand. The STS learning unit could help the participating students generate better reasonable claims. However, some claims were not properly generated from the relevant evidences and lacked warrants with appropriate supporting theories. The implications for further development of STS learning unit to enhance students’ scientific argumentation are also discussed.