THE REPRESENTATION OF MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE IN THEIR ARGUMENTS: AN APPRAISAL STUDY

Yuni Awalaturrohmah Solihah

Abstract

Abstract: This present study investigates the use of evaluative language in each 13 male and female students’ arguments drawing on Appraisal Theory by Martin and White (2005). It focuses on Attitude as one of subsystems in Appraisal to discover how similarities and differences in Attitude distribution. Male and female students’ arguments were selected to be analyzed using written discourse analysis. The findings showed that there was similarity in the distribution of affect in both male and female students’ arguments. This represented their arguments conveyed their emotion or feeling toward the issue given in the same way. Meanwhile, the differences were on the distribution of judgement and appreciation in their arguments. The male students conveyed their position to argue people’s behavior in positive way, while the female students represented their arguments about people’s behavior toward the issue given in negative way. In the distribution of appreciation, the male students represented their arguments to convey their position to argue the issue given in the negative way, but the female students conveyed their arguments toward the phenomena/things in positive way. From the overall distribution, the appreciation was the highest resources to represent their arguments about things or phenomena toward the issue given. The numbers of attitude distribution of female students were more than the male students indicating the female students were better than male students to convey their arguments toward the issue given. This study suggests that the teachers/lecturers could teach the attitude resources to strengthen the students’ arguments. 

Keywords

attitude; male students; female students; appraisal; written discourse analysis

Full Text:

PDF

References

Berland LK, Reiser BJ. 2008. Making Sense of Argumentation and Explanation. Science Education. Issue, 1, pp. 26–55.

Driver, R., Newton, P., & Osborne, J. (2000). Establishing the norms of scientific argumentation in classrooms. Science Education, 84(3), 287-312.

Erduran, S., Simon, S., & Osborne, J. (2004). TAPing into argumentation: Developments in the use of Toulmin’s argument pattern in studying science discourse. Science Education, 88(6), 915-933.

Erduran, S., & Jiménez-Aleixandre, M. P. (Eds.). (2007). Argumentation in Science Education. Berlin: Springer

Giri, V., and Paily MU. 2020. Effect of Collaborative Scientific Argumentation Strategy on Achievement in Biology Among 12th Grade Students. Journal of Critical Review, 7(3), pp. 344-353

Jalilifar, A., & Hemmati, A. 2013. Construction of Evaluative Meaning by Kurdish-Speaking Learners of English: A Comparison of High- and Low-Graded Argumentative Essays. Issues in Language Teaching (ILT), 2 (2), pp. 57-84.

Kurland, D. 2000. Critical Reading VS Critical Thinking. (Online), (http://www.criticalreading.com/critical readingthinkingtoc.htm, retrieved on July 15th , 2020)

Lee, S. H. (2006). The Use of Interpersonal Resources in Argumentative/Persuasive Essays by East-Asian ESL and Australian Tertiary Students. Unpulished PhD Thesis. University of Sydney.

Liu, X., & Thompson, P. 2009. Attitude in students’ argumentative writing: a contrastive perspective. In L. J. O’Brien & D. S. Giannoni (Eds), Language studies working papers (Vol. 1; pp. 3-15). Reading: University of Reading.

Liu, X. 2013. Evaluation in Chinese University EFL Students’ English Argumentative Writing: An Appraisal Study. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 10 (1), pp. 40-53.

Martin, J. R., and White, P. R. R. 2005. The language of evaluation: Appraisal in English. London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Mei, W., S., & Allison, D. 2003. Exploring Appraisals in Claims of Student Writers in Argumentative Essays. Prospect, 18 (3), pp. 71-91

Solihah, Y. A., Warsono., Fitriati, S. W. 2018. Evaluation of the Use of Attitude Resources in the Undergraduate Students’ Argumentative Speech. English Education Journal, 8(1), pp. 107-114

Suhartoyo, E., Mukminatien, N., and Laksmi D. 2015. The Effect of Toulmin’s Model of Argumentation Within TWPS Strategy on Students’ Critical on Argumentative Essay. Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora, 3(20), pp. 143-153

Page, Ruth E. 2003. An Analysis of Appraisal in Childbirth Narratives with Special Consideration of Gender and Storytelling Style. Text 23 (2), pp. 211-237.

Probosari, R. M., et al. 2017. Tracing the Development of Student’s Argumentation in Science Classroom: Knowledge Acquisition and Motivation. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research (ASSEHR), 158, pp. 545-551

Xinghua, L., & Thompson, P. 2009. Attitude in Students’ Argumentative Writing: A Contrastive Perspective. Language Studies Working Papers, 1, pp. 3-15.

Yang, Y. 2016. Appraisal Resources in Chinese College Students’ English Argumentative Writing. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 7 (5), pp. 1002-1013.

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.