Examining the Scientific Argumentation Implemented Through a Social Constructivism-Based Curriculum Designed for Primary Science Education in a Confucian Heritage Culture: A Case Study in Vietnam

Abstract

This study describes the improvement of a science curriculum based on a social constructivist approach in order to support primary students in a Confucian heritage culture in practicing scientific argumentation. The former design is adjusted by the application of an adapted model of the learning placemat for argumentation and by the formulation of concrete teaching-learning activities which are articulated with the application of the adapted learning placemat. The practice of a designed curriculum unit reveals that the designed curriculum can support the primary students in practicing scientific argumentation and in attaining consensually agreed knowledge. Nevertheless, the study also shows that primary teachers and students in a Confucian heritage culture do not pay much attention to the activities of qualifying and rebutting in scientific argumentation. The study recommends that further developmental research needs to deal with the refined problem of how to improve qualifying and rebutting in scientific argumentation in the practice of science lessons in a Confucian heritage culture.