The impact of argumentation-centered tasks on the scientific argumentation skills, inquiry-based learning skill perceptions, and critical thinking skills of gifted students

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of activities centered around argumentation on the scientific argumentation proficiency, perceptions of inquiry-based learning skill, and critical thinking abilities of gifted students. The research employed a single-group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design, which is considered a weaker experimental design. The study was conducted during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year at a Science and Arts Center (Bilsem) in Istanbul. The research sample comprised 37 voluntary students who had elected to participate in the Special Abilities (Development of Special Abilities) Biology course. Data was collected using the Scientific Argumentation Test, Inquiry Learning Skills Perception Scale, and Critical Thinking Scale. Over a period of six weeks and totalling 12 class hours, the instructor of the ÖYG Biology course engaged in activities based on argumentation following the pre-test. These activities included topics like osmosis, plasmolysis and deplasmolysis, symbiotic relationships, generating living tissue and organs using 3D-bioprinters, and cloning. At the conclusion of the activities, post-tests were conducted using the aforementioned tests and scales. In the data analysis, the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test was used for the Scientific Argumentation Test due to its non-normal distribution, while the dependent (related) groups t-test was used for the Inquiry Learning Skills Perception Scale and the Critical Thinking Scale, both of which exhibited normal distributions. The analysis of the data revealed that the argumentation-based activities led to statistically significant improvement in the scientific argumentation levels of gifted students as evidenced by the post-test results. However, there was no statistically significant difference favoring the post-test in their perceptions of inquiry-based learning and critical thinking skills. Keywords: Giftedness, argumentation, inquiry based learning, critical thinking