On March 9 and 12, 2024, Dr. Yingzhi Chen, Associate Professor of Arizona State University, was invited by the SSI-L project team of Beijing Normal University to give two seminars on “Teaching Methods and Strategies for Scientific Argumentation”. This academic activity was attended by teachers from the partner schools of the SSI-L project and students who selected the undergraduate course of “Scientific Literacy Assessment and Improvement” at Beijing Normal University. The two seminars were themed by “the Significance of Scientific Argumentation in Learning Process” and “How to Navigate the Scientific Uncertainty for Students in Science Classes”. Dr. Chen shared his research and views on “the difference between arguments and argumentation”, “the practices and strategies for carrying out students’ scientific argumentation and argumentative essay writing in primary school science classes”, “how to cultivate students’ scientific literacy through scientific argumentation in class”, “the theoretical basis of scientific uncertainty”, and “how teachers can navigate students’ scientific uncertainty as a pedagogical resource to help students learn science”. Participants explored the process of constantly reflecting on and refining arguments, evidence, and reasoning, which involves selecting experimental data, analyzing data, carrying out reasoning, putting forward arguments, sharing opinions, group interactions, etc. They had a direct experience on how to develop the teaching methods of students’ scientific argumentation. The participants were deeply inspired by and benefited a lot from Dr. Chen’s two lectures. On March 8 and 13, Dr. Chen, together with Dr. Lin Jing, the leader of the SSI-L program, visited two partner schools of the Xieying SSI-L Program of BNU Basic Education Development and Management Department. Dr. Chen had a face-to-face exchange with teachers from the partner schools on the teaching strategies of scientific argumentation, which contributed to the reform of SSI-based science education.
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