Review Essay: A structuralist approach to argumentation in education

Abstract

The authors present a review and critique of Argumentation and Education, a compilation of conceptual and research chapters about the theoretical foundations and practices of using argumentation in education. The book is described as providing a structuralist approach to constructing and evaluating arguments. Contrasting the structuralist paradigm with a dialogic perspective, the authors argue that authentic argumentation is a pedagogical tool, which involves dynamic, ever-changing, and unpredictable interactions. Ultimately, the authors highlight the absence of an essential focus in a book about argumentation and education: an authentic description of natural, spontaneous, student-created, and student-valued argumentation.