Scientific or Not? Mapping Category of Students’ Written Argument S. Siswanto (a*), S. Y. Anci (b), Y. Yusiran (c), H. Hartono (d), B. Subali (d)
a) Department of Natural Science Education,Universitas Tidar, Magelang, Indonesia
*siswanto[at]untidar.ac.id
b) Department of Primary Teacher of Education, STKIP Taman Siswa Bima, Bima, Indonesia
c) Department of Physic Education, STKIP Bima, Bima, Indonesia
d) Department of Physic, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
Abstract
Argumentation skills have to be mastered and owned by students of college. To investigate these, mapping the characteristics of students’ written argument should be revealed. Therefore, this study aims to map how students’ written arguments are categorized. A content analysis is a research method utilized in this study. Students written argument of electricity and magnetism from 22 participants are analyzed. The analysis of mapping the written argument is divided into two parts. First, analysis is focused on considering argumentation components without scientific level. Finding of research portrays that level 2 (i.e. Data, Claim and or Warrant) dominates. Second, analysis is emphasized in argumentation components and scientific level of arguments. The result of research depicts that the category of Scientifically Unacceptable-Incorrect Scientific Knowledge (SU-2) is dominant. Its implication is a written argument should be taught to students comprehensively. Both component and scientific level of argument should be mastered by students.
Keywords: Argumentation Skills; written arguments; scientific level of arguments
