Page 208 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 208
embedded. On the one hand, such competence can be identified at a curricu-
lar lever and could thus be, as an explicit learning topic, one of the (measured)
standards of knowledge. On the other hand, command of principles of rheto-
ric and argumentation is closely associated with oral competence in its widest
sense. Oral competence is considered one of the more significant psycholog-
ical factors that influence student achievement in interaction with social fac-
tors (Puklek Levpušček and Zupančič, 2009; Marjanovič Umek et al., 2007: 43).
It can be said that rhetoric and argumentation are – on account of their so-
ciocultural peculiarities – actually embedded in student achievement at sev-
eral different levels, whereby the following may represent the key factors that
could impact both educational outcomes and self-perception of achievement
in a psychological sense: 1) the level of knowledge and (practical) command
of rhetoric and argumentation, 2) (non)integration of rhetoric and argumen-
tation in the education process, 3) the attitude to persuasion and argumenta-
tion as more or less desirable discourse strategies in the school and wider so-
cial environments that might represent the key factors which could impact
both educational outcomes and the self-perception of achievement in a psy-
208 chological sense.
Another area for closer examination is the premise of the problematic na-
ture of non-independent and unsystematic teaching of rhetoric and argumen-
tation in Slovenia. In the author’s opinion, this circumstance impacts both the
micro-level of school life (e.g. the quality of the process of education, interper-
sonal relationships and student achievement) and shapes the general attitude
of Slovenian society to persuasion and argumentation. Both factors are notice-
able within Slovenian public discourse and they also co-shape communication
patterns in everyday communication.14
There are some historically grounded connections between systematic
teaching of rhetoric and argumentation, and successful participation in socie-
ty that remain topical even today. Ancient Greeks and Romans regarded teach-
ing of effective persuasion and presentation of arguments as one of the foun-
dations of society. Rhetoric was a key teaching subject of the entire education
throughout antiquity (from the approximate age of six to seventeen). Moreo-
ver, no public activity in terms of politics, or a wider social and cultural partic-
ipation, was possible without education of this kind. But why is this still rele-
vant even though 2,500 years have since passed? Mainly because this involves
14 At this point another study needs to be pointed out first, i.e. a study on argumentation in the Na-
tional Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia (Žagar Ž., 2011), which revealed the predominant de-
cisive factor to be the physical number of votes of the governing coalition (i.e. the argument of
power), and not, for instance, the frequency or even quality of MPs’ argumentation. The second
circumstance that also partially attests to a specific position of rhetoric and argumentation is the
aforementioned analysis of dictionary entries, which was presented in the introduction, and par-
tially also Slovenian stereotypical, generalised notions about good communication, wherein pre-
senting arguments is often understood as inclination to conflict and quarrelsomeness, while rheto-
ric is equated with sophisticated language and sweet talk.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
lar lever and could thus be, as an explicit learning topic, one of the (measured)
standards of knowledge. On the other hand, command of principles of rheto-
ric and argumentation is closely associated with oral competence in its widest
sense. Oral competence is considered one of the more significant psycholog-
ical factors that influence student achievement in interaction with social fac-
tors (Puklek Levpušček and Zupančič, 2009; Marjanovič Umek et al., 2007: 43).
It can be said that rhetoric and argumentation are – on account of their so-
ciocultural peculiarities – actually embedded in student achievement at sev-
eral different levels, whereby the following may represent the key factors that
could impact both educational outcomes and self-perception of achievement
in a psychological sense: 1) the level of knowledge and (practical) command
of rhetoric and argumentation, 2) (non)integration of rhetoric and argumen-
tation in the education process, 3) the attitude to persuasion and argumenta-
tion as more or less desirable discourse strategies in the school and wider so-
cial environments that might represent the key factors which could impact
both educational outcomes and the self-perception of achievement in a psy-
208 chological sense.
Another area for closer examination is the premise of the problematic na-
ture of non-independent and unsystematic teaching of rhetoric and argumen-
tation in Slovenia. In the author’s opinion, this circumstance impacts both the
micro-level of school life (e.g. the quality of the process of education, interper-
sonal relationships and student achievement) and shapes the general attitude
of Slovenian society to persuasion and argumentation. Both factors are notice-
able within Slovenian public discourse and they also co-shape communication
patterns in everyday communication.14
There are some historically grounded connections between systematic
teaching of rhetoric and argumentation, and successful participation in socie-
ty that remain topical even today. Ancient Greeks and Romans regarded teach-
ing of effective persuasion and presentation of arguments as one of the foun-
dations of society. Rhetoric was a key teaching subject of the entire education
throughout antiquity (from the approximate age of six to seventeen). Moreo-
ver, no public activity in terms of politics, or a wider social and cultural partic-
ipation, was possible without education of this kind. But why is this still rele-
vant even though 2,500 years have since passed? Mainly because this involves
14 At this point another study needs to be pointed out first, i.e. a study on argumentation in the Na-
tional Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia (Žagar Ž., 2011), which revealed the predominant de-
cisive factor to be the physical number of votes of the governing coalition (i.e. the argument of
power), and not, for instance, the frequency or even quality of MPs’ argumentation. The second
circumstance that also partially attests to a specific position of rhetoric and argumentation is the
aforementioned analysis of dictionary entries, which was presented in the introduction, and par-
tially also Slovenian stereotypical, generalised notions about good communication, wherein pre-
senting arguments is often understood as inclination to conflict and quarrelsomeness, while rheto-
ric is equated with sophisticated language and sweet talk.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
