The importance of argument in education
Richard Andrews (2009)
Types of argument
- Everyday tiffs, spats rows
- ‘Mostly highly prized of academic discourse’
- working out a third point from two given points
- a synopsis – e.g. for a plot, it begins the next stage i.e. it chronicles, it has the bare bones of narrative and narrative signifies the argument.
Two meta-genres operating in different ways
Argument 1-3 above
Narrative 4 above
Argumentation – the process of argument. This definition puts distance between type 1 and the rest. Type 1 is often triggered by something that is not the real cause of the difference
P4 ‘ a way of exploring an idea to its logical conclusion, a means by which a range of views can be expressed’ It allows you to make a contribution therefore can limit power and authority of significant others’
P5 ‘functions of argument -clarification, cathartis, defence etc, persuasion.
P5 ‘ argument, whilst properly associated with rationality, is often thought to be opposed to passion and feelings.’ …..’Rather than accept such an easy polarity, argument and rationality can be seen as deeply implicated in passion and feeling’ Andrews suggests the idea of intuition as high speed rationality.
Persuasion is not the same as argument (argumentation)
Argumentation and Education
Refers to Habermas ( philosopher) and Vygotsky
Vygotsky
Conceptualised reflection as inner argumentation – ‘ why all that is internal in higher mental functions was at one time external’ – the relations between people.
P7 ‘reflection is more than a miasmic , static read-off from experience’ rather it is seen as sociogenetic’
P7 ‘ dynamic mental space informed by social argument ‘ the dialogue is both with experience/the outside world on the one hand, and with ideas themselves, the internal process of reflecting/thinking.
P8 ‘Part of the underlying justification for the statement is that the development of disciplinary practices historically, is the result of ‘real relations between people’ e.g. WEAs, particularly women English as an alternative to classics at Oxbridge
P8 ‘ Gradually ‘patterns of expectation and convention establish’ “ This, the lines and conduits along which thought and argumentation take place are determined’ ( KRO formative role of teacher, norms)
Arguments can be tacit or explicit. In education a role of the teacher is to make arguments explicit.
P11 in order to develop learners ‘have to be amenable’ to the process of argumentation
However p14 ‘ the term argumentation can be threatening, it can disrup and destabilise’ therefore why the term discussion ids often preferred.
Uses three examples primary children , undergraduate essay, masters engineering student, to demonstrate that argument can manifest in different ways
Right of everyone to have mastery of the art of argument.
Claims - Habermas – we constantly make claims, claims require eviedence or a degree of validation – they are an element of argumentation in that they invite counter-claim.
Can you argue without words – multimodal?
Claims that other modes can be more visceral ( KRO assumption because didn’t back up the claim) Shrimpton example at the Melbourne races p19 ‘still image can embody an argument through the tension between two elements in the image’ ie counterpoint.
