The benefit of socioscientific uses of argument is
that they link everyday issues with science principles.
In doing so, these strategies can serve as powerful
motivational tools for engaging students in studying
science. A big challenge with socioscientific strategies,
however, is that while students gain experience with
argument, they do not necessarily gain experience
with scientific forms of argument. Socioscientificbased
strategies are not designed to help students
understand how science knowledge is formed in the
scientific community. That is, the arguments center
on applications of science principles in social contexts
as opposed to arguments about the science principles
themselves. Students have difficulty transferring their
understanding of science principles to the social contexts,
and it is not uncommon that students argue in
the final debate from a moral or ethical position rather
than a scientific position.