Argumentation in Chemistry Education: An Overview

The chapter is an introduction to the book by highlighting the role of argumentation in chemistry education. Argumentation is typically defined as the justification of claims with evidence. There is now a substantial body of work in this area as evidenced by content review of key journals and the presence of books dedicated to this theme. The chapter starts with a concrete example from a practical chemistry lesson activity to illustrate why argumentation is needed in chemistry teaching and learning. The relevance and current status of argumentation for the chemistry curriculum are subsequently discussed. The intention in this book is to contextualise argumentation in chemistry education by drawing on accounts from research, curriculum policy and practice. The chapter concludes with an overview of the content of the chapters.