ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of discourse in science and in the learning of science. While the community of practising scientists is distinct from that of science educators, they share a common disciplinary foundation and discourse plays a vital role in both. We begin by contrasting the nature of the form of discourse to be found in science and science education before moving to explore the role of language and discourse in science education. A specific focus of interest is the role of argumentation, which is a research programme that has been predominant in the field of science education for the past decade (Ford and Forman 2007; Lee, Wu and Tsai 2008). Here we review the body of evidence and argument that has accumulated about the value and significance of argumentation to the learning of science. Research in this field will only develop, however, when there are better explanatory models of how argumentative discourse achieves the effects that have been observed to date. To this end, a tentative model emerging from our research to date is presented and examined.
