Effect of socio-scientific issue-based argumentation on middle school students’ epistemological, and pseudo-scientific beliefs

To increase students’ scientific competence, it is imperative to design teaching processes that eliminate pseudo-scientific claims and promote a realistic image of science. Socio-scientific argumentation is increasingly used in science education to develop students’ questioning and judgment skills. This study presents a teaching framework encouraging students to comprehend the evolving nature of knowledge through socio-scientific issue-based argumentation activities. Conducted with fifth-grade middle school students, the study used scenarios on biodiversity, human–environment relations, and natural disasters. Students discovered that evidence-based arguments helped them understand claims and that knowledge is not absolute. These activities’ effects on students’ epistemological and pseudo-scientific beliefs were examined. Findings showed that students’ epistemological beliefs developed positively in the sub-dimensions of “authority and truth,” “knowledge production process,” and “source of knowledge.” However, there was no statistically significant change in pseudo-scientific beliefs. Educators and policymakers must acknowledge the progress in epistemological beliefs and persistence of pseudo-scientific beliefs.