ARGUMENTATION IN SCIENCE CLASSROOMS: A KEY TOOL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING

Abstract

The purpose of this argumentative essay is the consideration of scientific argumentation, which is considered as the main way to develop critical thinking in science classrooms, from the examination of its theoretical bases, the strategies of its implementation and the contributions to the generation of scientifically enlightened citizens, the methodology used consisted of an analytical review of the specialized literature, The methodology used consisted of an analytical review of the specialized literature, which considered a total of eight contemporary academic references, which were chosen for their thematic and methodological quality that could be considered, following these references, an interpretative analysis of the theoretical and empirical contributions of each of the authors was carried out, so that they were related from the connections between the different concepts in such a way that coinciding lines of research could be acquired in relation to scientific argumentation and critical thinking. The result of the analysis shows that scientific argumentation goes beyond being a didactic strategy and becomes a central mechanism of cognitive, metacognitive and social development, it is clear that students who participate in authentic argumentative processes develop higher quality reasoning skills, metacognitive self-regulation and communication skills that are effectively transferred to other different contexts and the adequate implementation of argumentative strategies in deep pedagogical transformations of the reconceptualization of the teaching role, the design of activities that integrate socio-scientific dilemmas and the creation of learning environments.