Page 206 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 206
en and Grootendorst (2004), and Žagar Ž. (2006), as well as the theory of infor-
mal logic, and their upgrading, whose main proponents are Blair and Johnson
(1987), and Govier (2005), logos or argumentation is a specific social, linguistic
and intellectual activity, determined by a series of permanent (‘objective’) rules
- independent of each discourse situation - at the level of structure, soundness
and validity. When rhetoric is discussed within the context of public discourse,
it is not possible to leave out argumentation (even though we may realise that
in a specific case there are no arguments, it was argumentation that we have
been talking/thinking about while considering the whole situation); and vice
versa, in any argumentation its ‘rhetorical’ aspects can be touched upon (i.e.
other elements of persuasion that can be a legitimate or an illegitimate part of
the argumentative process).
Following a short definition of the theoretical framework, this paper will
now focus on the role of rhetoric and argumentation within education. Their
principles, in the way they have been presented, are viewed as the key com-
munication strategies within the educational process, which – in their widest
sense – impact in particular:
206
- the effectiveness of co-construction of knowledge (i. e. persuasion
and argumentation are the constituent parts of co-construction of
knowledge both at analytical and synthetical levels; mastering them
is thus one of the factors that may impact student achievement as the
final result of this process);
- the efficiency of the educational process (i. e. good command of persu-
asion and argumentation strategies enables a better-quality transfer
of information related to co-construction of knowledge);
- the dynamic of interpersonal relationships (i. e. rhetorical and argu-
mentative principles as specific tools of language use enable parti-
cipants in a pedagogical discourse efficient treatment of potentially
controversial topics, whereby they significantly impact the quality of
interpersonal relationships within the educational process);
- the development of the self-concept of (all) participants in the educa-
tional process (i. e. conscious use of rhetoric-argumentative strategies
improves linguistic self-confidence and consequently develops (self )
perceptions of (one’s own) achievement, and also impacts motivation
for more active participation in the educational process).
Linking what has been stated above with the concept of key compe-
tencies as a ‘transferable, multifunctional collection of knowledge, skills and
views’ (European Commission, 2007), the principles of rhetoric and argumen-
tation as linguistic strategies can be defined in particular within the first key
competence, i.e. communication in the mother tongue. Within such a limit-
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
mal logic, and their upgrading, whose main proponents are Blair and Johnson
(1987), and Govier (2005), logos or argumentation is a specific social, linguistic
and intellectual activity, determined by a series of permanent (‘objective’) rules
- independent of each discourse situation - at the level of structure, soundness
and validity. When rhetoric is discussed within the context of public discourse,
it is not possible to leave out argumentation (even though we may realise that
in a specific case there are no arguments, it was argumentation that we have
been talking/thinking about while considering the whole situation); and vice
versa, in any argumentation its ‘rhetorical’ aspects can be touched upon (i.e.
other elements of persuasion that can be a legitimate or an illegitimate part of
the argumentative process).
Following a short definition of the theoretical framework, this paper will
now focus on the role of rhetoric and argumentation within education. Their
principles, in the way they have been presented, are viewed as the key com-
munication strategies within the educational process, which – in their widest
sense – impact in particular:
206
- the effectiveness of co-construction of knowledge (i. e. persuasion
and argumentation are the constituent parts of co-construction of
knowledge both at analytical and synthetical levels; mastering them
is thus one of the factors that may impact student achievement as the
final result of this process);
- the efficiency of the educational process (i. e. good command of persu-
asion and argumentation strategies enables a better-quality transfer
of information related to co-construction of knowledge);
- the dynamic of interpersonal relationships (i. e. rhetorical and argu-
mentative principles as specific tools of language use enable parti-
cipants in a pedagogical discourse efficient treatment of potentially
controversial topics, whereby they significantly impact the quality of
interpersonal relationships within the educational process);
- the development of the self-concept of (all) participants in the educa-
tional process (i. e. conscious use of rhetoric-argumentative strategies
improves linguistic self-confidence and consequently develops (self )
perceptions of (one’s own) achievement, and also impacts motivation
for more active participation in the educational process).
Linking what has been stated above with the concept of key compe-
tencies as a ‘transferable, multifunctional collection of knowledge, skills and
views’ (European Commission, 2007), the principles of rhetoric and argumen-
tation as linguistic strategies can be defined in particular within the first key
competence, i.e. communication in the mother tongue. Within such a limit-
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
