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A Case Study of Argumentation at Undergraduate Level in History

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Abstract

This article examines two essays by undergraduate students in the first year of study in History at a university in the UK. It also draws on documentary evidence from the department in question and interviews with the students themselves to paint a picture of the way argumentation operates at this level. While no firm conclusions can be drawn, the evidence suggests a department with a high degree of awareness of the importance of argument and argumentation in studying History; and students who are aware and articulate about the problem facing them in constructing essays in the discipline. Suggestions are made about induction into the epistemological and argumentative demands of undergraduate study.

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Notes

  1. No references are given to the documentation from the department in question, in order to preserve its anonymity.

References

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Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Ellie Lockey, Sally Mitchell, Kelly Peake, Paul Prior, Rebecca Bilbro, Rachel Reeds, Beng-Huat See and Carole Torgerson, all of whom have contributed to the design and collection of material in the project on argumentation in first year undergraduates. The pilot project was funded by The Higher Education Academy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Learning, Curriculum and Communication, Faculty of Culture and Pedagogy, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, UK

    Richard Andrews

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  1. Richard Andrews
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Correspondence to Richard Andrews.

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Andrews, R. A Case Study of Argumentation at Undergraduate Level in History. Argumentation 23, 547–558 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-009-9165-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-009-9165-8

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