Does prior domain-specific content knowledge influence students' recall of arguments surrounding interdisciplinary topics?

Awareness of various arguments can help interactants present opinions, stress points, and build counterarguments during discussions. At school, some topics are taught in a way that students learn to accumulate knowledge and gather arguments, and later employ them during debates. Prior knowledge may...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescence (London, England.) England.), 2017-12, Vol.61 (1), p.96-106
Main Authors: Schmidt, Hiemke K., Rothgangel, Martin, Grube, Dietmar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Argument
Awareness
Bioethical dilemma
Consciousness
Discussion
Female
Germany
Humans
Knowledge
Male
Mental Recall
Prior knowledge
Psychology
Recall
School discipline
Stress
Students
Students - psychology
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Summary:Awareness of various arguments can help interactants present opinions, stress points, and build counterarguments during discussions. At school, some topics are taught in a way that students learn to accumulate knowledge and gather arguments, and later employ them during debates. Prior knowledge may facilitate recalling information on well structured, fact-based topics, but does it facilitate recalling arguments during discussions on complex, interdisciplinary topics? We assessed the prior knowledge in domains related to a bioethical topic of 277 students from Germany (approximately 15 years old), their interest in the topic, and their general knowledge. The students read a text with arguments for and against prenatal diagnostics and tried to recall the arguments one week later and again six weeks later. Prior knowledge in various domains related to the topic individually and separately helped students recall the arguments. These relationships were independent of students' interest in the topic and their general knowledge.
ISSN:0140-1971
1095-9254
DOI:10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.10.001