Learning to Argue Through Dialogue: a Review of Instructional Approaches

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, a broad and diverse research literature has emerged to address how students learn to argue through dialogue in educational contexts. However, the variety of approaches used to study this phenomenon makes it challenging to find coherence in what may otherwise seem to be disparate fields of study. In this integrative review, we propose looking at how learning to argue (LTA) has been operationalized thus far in educational research, focusing on how different scholars have framed and fostered argumentative dialogue, assessed its gains, and applied it in different learning contexts. In total, 143 studies from the broad literature on educational dialogue and argumentation were analysed, including all educational levels (from primary to university). The following patterns for studying how dialogue fosters LTA emerged: whole-class ‘low structure’ framing with a goal of dialogue, small-group ‘high structure’ framing with varied argumentative goals, and studies with one-to-one dialectic framing with a goal of persuasive deliberation. The affordances and limitations of these different instructional approaches to LTA research and practice are discussed. We conclude with a discussion of complementarity of the approaches that emerged from our analysis in terms of the pedagogical methods and conditions that promote productive and/or constructive classroom interactions.

What we learned from Covid-19 about discourse-based learning

“…Leading such discussions is similarly challenging. A recent review ( Rapanta & Felton, 2022 ) of different approaches to discourse-based pedagogy confirms that the large majority of these are based on whole-class discussion. While this format remains the most frequent format for classroom discourse, teachers commonly report feelings of inadequacy in managing these discussions ( Clarke et al, 2015 ; Resnick et al, 2018 ), threatening their widespread adoption.…”

“…It also has the benefit of a substantial body of empirical research documenting its effectiveness. Recent empirical research in classrooms shows its wide applicability and success across diverse science, history, and social subject matter ( Iordanou & Constantinou, 2015 ; Iordanou & Rapanta, 2021 ; Kuhn, Feliciano, & Kostikina, 2019 ; Matos, 2021 ; Rapanta, 2021 ; Rapanta & Felton, 2022 ; Shi, 2019 ; Shi, Shen, Wang, Cheng, & Wang, 2021 ). In some cases, the approach has been integrated into existing curricula and in others it has been introduced as an independent course or activity.…”

“…The method is described in summary form by Iordanou and Rapanta (2021) and in full detail in the volume by Kuhn (2018) with separate editions for students and teachers. Rapanta and Felton (2022) provide a thorough review in identifying how different instructional approaches that identify themselves as discourse-based, including ours, differ from one another.…”

Argumentation in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…A recent systematic review of research on instructional approaches to learning to argue (LTA) via dialogue (Rapanta & Felton, 2022) sheds light on the broader patterns in which dialogue across educational classroom settings and levels may foster children's and young people's ability to formulate and defend their points of view and structure their argumentation in scientifically valid ways. In the review, an argumentative dialogue is conceptualized as a classroom activity either specifically targeting argumentation skills or leading to argumentation nonintentionally through the promotion of "dialogic norms" (Rapanta & Felton, 2022, p. 481).…”

“…Grounded in socio-constructivist and socio-cultural approaches to learning and development (Vygotsky, 1978;Wertsch et al, 1995), much research on argumentation in the educational field has focused on school-aged children's dialogic, collaborative knowledge construction during classroom learning activities (e.g., Driver et al, 2000;Mirza & Perret-Clermont, 2009;Rapanta & Felton, 2022;Schwarz & Baker, 2017). This is particularly true of older age groups, attending upper primary and secondary grades (e.g., Gillies & Khan, 2009;Kuhn et al, 2016;Kuhn & Crowell, 2011).…”