Teaching Academic Argument in an Urban Middle School: A Case Study of Two Approaches

In this case study, we examined the effects of two instructional methods, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) and Collaborative Reasoning (CR), on students' written and oral arguments. Using an interview, we also explored students' understanding of academic arguments and their perceptions about the instruction. The students were 38 middle school, African American students in a low-income urban school. The results signaled the potential benefit of both instructional approaches to enhance the written argument skills of low-income, urban, middle school students. In addition, students in both conditions reported an improved understanding of some features of academic argument, and they recognized the value of instruction in argument.