The Argumentation Skills of Junior High School Students on Physical Changes and Chemical Changes

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the improvement of junior high school students' argumentation skills on the topic of physical changes and chemical changes. The design of this study used one group pretest-posttest design. Data were then analysed using descriptive statistics to describe the students' argumentation skills and inferential statistics to examine students' improvement. The results of the research showed that students' argumentation skills on some indicators were successfully applied: examining claims, showing evidence, making reason, and arranging contra-argument after joining the learning model which consisted of five phases, namely (1) orientation, (2) exploration, (3) pre-argument, (4) arguments and contra-argument, and (5) reflection on limited trials and extensive trials.