Complex argumentation in elementary school

Abstract

This paper describes a study of mathematical argumentation in primary school. The principal aim is to explore the nature of complex argumentation at a structural level. The context of the study was a teaching experiment involving nine tasks that promoted argumentation among fifth graders. We use the framework and method of reconstructing complex argumentation in the classroom proposed by Knipping (2008). The findings show that complex argumentation at a structural level in the context of refuting conclusions is characterized by a source-like structure with the addition of a new refutation argument element.