Thai Urban School Students’ Scientific Argumentation in Physics Learning Weblog

Abstract

This study aimed to enhance Thai urban school students’ scientific argumentation through physics learning weblog. The participants included 47 Grade 10 students studying in an urban large-size school, Kaennakon Wittayalai School. This study was done during the first semester of 2014 academic year. The physics learning weblog provided argumentation situations in six sub-units: (1) Force and Work (2) Energy, Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy (3) Law of Energy Conservation, (4) Apply Law of energy Conservation, (5) Power, and (6) Mechanical. A qualitative was adopted in this study. Students’ expression, discourse, and tasks in physics weblog were collected to examine students’ argumentation in physics learning. The Toulmin’s diagram of Arguments Pattern (TAP) was used as framework to interpret students’ argumentation on weblog. The findings indicated that the physics learning weblog enhanced scientific argumentation. Students could comment or express their ideas. The paper will discuss details of students’ argumentation regarding on TAP’s coding schema - data, claim, warrants, qualifiers, rebuttals and backing. Implications for effective situation argumentation of weblog in Thai physics context are also discussed.