Informal Reasoning Patterns and Socioscientific Reasoning of Middle School Students on Local and General Socioscientific Issues

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine middle school students’ informal reasoning patterns and socioscientific reasoning about local and general socioscientific issues (SSI). The study was conducted with 59 7th-grade students using a case study, a qualitative research design. Data collection included activity sheets completed by students based on prepared scenarios and a SSI survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. It was found that middle school students frequently used the rational reasoning pattern, one of the informal reasoning patterns, in local and general SSIs. Participants grasped the complexity of the subject better and produced solutions in the complexity aspect of socioscientific reasoning in local SSIs compared to general SSIs. Beyond the local-general distinction, the findings revealed that students’ reasoning patterns were also shaped by their prior experiences, the emotional relevance of the topic, and the degree to which SSIs directly affect daily life. To develop students’ socioscientific reasoning and informal reasoning, it is recommended to include scenarios for local SSIs in textbooks and curricula, and to deliberately integrate issues with strong experiential, emotional, and everyday-life connections to foster the balanced use of rational, intuitive, and emotional reasoning.