USE OF EVIDENCE BY COLOMBIAN STUDENTS IN ARGUMENTATIVE REASONING

ABSTRACT

Idiographic research that focuses on the use of evidence in argumentative productions by high school students, who participated in a pedagogical design based on argumentation to develop critical-reflective thinking. It was analyzed discursively 112 productions of 28 cases, chosen through intentional sampling. Dialectical (type, nature) and pragmatic (function) aspects of the evidence were examined. The results show progressive sophistication in the use of evidence, that is, passing from pseudo-evidence to genuine evidence; the presence of evidence to support or anticipate counter-arguments. These findings imply rethinking learning environments in order to introduce pedagogical actions that foster the use of evidence in argumentative production and epistemic monitoring as central competencies on the construction of scientific knowledge.

KEYWORDS
argumentation; evidence; cognitive development; education