Page 203 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 203
transfer into educational practice, to-date the only study on knowledge 203
and application of rhetoric and argumentation in Slovenian lower and upper
secondary schools was conducted in 2010.7 Results have revealed that rhet-
oric and argumentation are often misunderstood and that they are virtually
non-existent in the form of educational content. However, at the same time
both teachers and students recognised them as factors that they believe exert
a significant impact on individuals’ successful participation in school and soci-
ety in general (Žmavc, 2011). Before some of the findings of this study are pre-
sented and highlighted, and also linked to the issues in relation to student (un-
der)achievement, another matter will be presented in more detail: Slovenian
everyday, stereotypical conceptions of rhetoric and argumentation that sig-
nificantly influence the way they are understood and consequently impact on
their (non)integration into education.
For a clearer idea on the diversity of these conceptions, a general and val-
ue-neutral definition is used as a basis, i.e. that rhetoric and argumentation are
two discursive practices with a long-standing tradition of differentiation and
numerous (including value) connotations. The principal contemporary theo-
retical definitions that were developed in the 20th and the 21st centuries, place
emphasis on various historically grounded aspects within rhetoric and argu-
mentation, however, they simultaneously try to ‘harmonise’ both of these the-
oretical fields. The argument in favour of such convergence is based on the
premise that these are two disciplines that are inseparably linked in spite of
their conceptual differences; the key issue is thus not in relation to their (non)
connection, but about understanding the nature of the relationship between
both theoretical fields (Blair, 2012: 309–321). In Slovenia, a number of problems
are present in this field, most of which originate from the lack of suitable the-
oretical studies into rhetoric and argumentation. This is partially related to his-
torical and sociopolitical circumstances in Slovenia and also to the generally
prevalent and market-oriented idea (which dates back to antiquity) about the
profitability of teaching persuasion strategies. The latter is not problematic in
itself, however, in Slovenia, where rhetoric and argumentation lack a suitable
theoretical grounding, such a bare ‘market’ conception has led to often high-
ly simplified and inaccurate ideas about the skills of persuasion and argument
which enter formalised fields such as science and education in this form.8
7 The study was conducted as part of a larger-scale ESF (European Social Fund) project with the title
‘Professional Bases, Strategies and Theoretical Frameworks of Education for Intercultural Relations
and Active Citizenship’, which was carried out by the Research Centre of SASA and the Educational
Research Institute in the 2010–2011 period.
8 Proper in-depth and suitable research into theories of rhetoric and argumentation in Slovenia start-
ed in the early 1990’s with work conducted by Igor Žagar, whose research is mainly focused on argu-
mentation, discourse analysis and linguistic pragmatics. Not only has Žagar developed the first suit-
able ‘Slovenian’ conceptualisations in the field of rhetoric and argumentation, his work is important
also because he has established and developed contemporary models for teaching rhetoric and ar-
rhetoric and argumentation as factors in student achievement
and application of rhetoric and argumentation in Slovenian lower and upper
secondary schools was conducted in 2010.7 Results have revealed that rhet-
oric and argumentation are often misunderstood and that they are virtually
non-existent in the form of educational content. However, at the same time
both teachers and students recognised them as factors that they believe exert
a significant impact on individuals’ successful participation in school and soci-
ety in general (Žmavc, 2011). Before some of the findings of this study are pre-
sented and highlighted, and also linked to the issues in relation to student (un-
der)achievement, another matter will be presented in more detail: Slovenian
everyday, stereotypical conceptions of rhetoric and argumentation that sig-
nificantly influence the way they are understood and consequently impact on
their (non)integration into education.
For a clearer idea on the diversity of these conceptions, a general and val-
ue-neutral definition is used as a basis, i.e. that rhetoric and argumentation are
two discursive practices with a long-standing tradition of differentiation and
numerous (including value) connotations. The principal contemporary theo-
retical definitions that were developed in the 20th and the 21st centuries, place
emphasis on various historically grounded aspects within rhetoric and argu-
mentation, however, they simultaneously try to ‘harmonise’ both of these the-
oretical fields. The argument in favour of such convergence is based on the
premise that these are two disciplines that are inseparably linked in spite of
their conceptual differences; the key issue is thus not in relation to their (non)
connection, but about understanding the nature of the relationship between
both theoretical fields (Blair, 2012: 309–321). In Slovenia, a number of problems
are present in this field, most of which originate from the lack of suitable the-
oretical studies into rhetoric and argumentation. This is partially related to his-
torical and sociopolitical circumstances in Slovenia and also to the generally
prevalent and market-oriented idea (which dates back to antiquity) about the
profitability of teaching persuasion strategies. The latter is not problematic in
itself, however, in Slovenia, where rhetoric and argumentation lack a suitable
theoretical grounding, such a bare ‘market’ conception has led to often high-
ly simplified and inaccurate ideas about the skills of persuasion and argument
which enter formalised fields such as science and education in this form.8
7 The study was conducted as part of a larger-scale ESF (European Social Fund) project with the title
‘Professional Bases, Strategies and Theoretical Frameworks of Education for Intercultural Relations
and Active Citizenship’, which was carried out by the Research Centre of SASA and the Educational
Research Institute in the 2010–2011 period.
8 Proper in-depth and suitable research into theories of rhetoric and argumentation in Slovenia start-
ed in the early 1990’s with work conducted by Igor Žagar, whose research is mainly focused on argu-
mentation, discourse analysis and linguistic pragmatics. Not only has Žagar developed the first suit-
able ‘Slovenian’ conceptualisations in the field of rhetoric and argumentation, his work is important
also because he has established and developed contemporary models for teaching rhetoric and ar-
rhetoric and argumentation as factors in student achievement
