Competencies in the use of evidence in argumentation

Abstract

The relevance of the competence in the use of scientific evidence in argumentation is discussed in the context of its prominence in PISA and policy. The paper outlines a proposal of two dimensions of the competence: (1) metaknowledge, or knowledge about the use of evidence, including nature of evidence, its role, and criteria for evaluating evidence; and (2) practice of the use of evidence, including the use of evidence in different contexts and the operations involved in it. The different elements in the proposal are discussed drawing from the literature, and particularly from the authors’ studies with two tasks set in socio-scientific contexts: evaluation of Watson’s claim about differences in intelligence between ‘races’, and decision about the ecological efficiency of eating secondary versus tertiary carnivore fish. The difficulties found, both in secondary school and in university students, point to the need to pay specific attention to this dimension of argumentation.