Scientific Argumentation in Physics Education: A Decade of Research Trends, Approaches, and Challenges

Abstract

Scientific argumentation was a core competency in 21st-century science education, enabling students to think critically, evaluate evidence, and construct evidence-based claims. Despite its growing importance in national and international curricula, students continued to demonstrate low proficiency in scientific argumentation, particularly in constructing rebuttals and counterarguments. While numerous pedagogical interventions had been proposed to address this gap, few systematic reviews had comprehensively mapped the trends, focus areas, and methodological landscape of scientific argumentation research over the past decade. This study aimed to address that gap through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) guided by the PRISMA framework. Following a multi-stage screening process spanning database search, eligibility assessment, and full-text review, 24 articles published between 2015 and 2025 were selected for analysis. Findings showed a sharp increase in publications from 2020 onward, with research concentrated in Indonesia, followed by Germany, Colombia, and Taiwan. Effective pedagogical approaches identified included project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, argument-driven inquiry, and the integration of technologies such as virtual laboratories and virtual reality. Quantitative and quasi-experimental designs dominated the methodological landscape, though qualitative and mixed-methods studies contributed valuable insight into students' reasoning processes. Toulmin's Argumentation Pattern (TAP) remained the most widely used framework for defining and assessing argumentation quality. Despite consistent improvements in students' conceptual understanding and argumentation skills following intervention, the ability to formulate rebuttals and counterarguments remained a persistent challenge, underscoring the need for innovative and sustained instructional strategies in physics education. This persistent gap highlights an urgent avenue for future systematic inquiry into instructional models specifically designed to strengthen rebuttal and counterargument competencies among physics learners.