An analysis of children\'s construction of new knowledge through their use of reasoning and arguing in classroom discussions

This descriptive paper presents findings from an analysis of fifth graders’ classroom discussions aimed at constructing shared knowledge on biological and ecological topics. A Vygotskian frame of reference was used that assumes reasoning in children is externalized through discussing and reasoning with others. This analysis of peer discourse‐reasoning was developed in a “social constructivist learning community” characterized by collaboration, public sharing, and revision of ideas. The argumentative operations and the epistemic operations activated by the students while reasoning and arguing have been illustrated in detail. These classroom discussions demonstrate how students build up new concepts by renegotiating and sharing meanings and ideas during lively, argumentative exchanges. These discussions also indicate the cognitive procedures activated to make sense of the new knowledge, that is, the main thinking actions needed to be engaged in a deep scientific understanding. The data suggest that collaborative discoursereasoning can act as means to support students in gradually mastering some of the discursive practices characteristic of scientific communities.