Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

1-2025

Abstract

Reasoning and arguing well lies at the core of thinking and constructing knowledge about complex, controversial issues. Leveraging the techniques of learning by teaching and deliberate erring, the present study developed and tested a novel intervention—learning by misteaching—to boost argumentative reasoning. University students (N = 208) were trained on argumentation strategies and studied a dual-position argumentative text on a controversial topic using one of three learning methods: notetaking, correct teaching, or misteaching. The notetaking group prepared to be tested and wrote study notes while generating good arguments about the topic, whereas both teaching groups prepared to teach and wrote a verbatim teaching script about the topic exactly as how they would orate a lecture while generating good arguments (correct teaching) or deliberately weak arguments (misteaching) for their intended audience to spot. All students were then tested on their basic recall of the text and higher order argumentative reasoning in integrating opposing views to form conclusions about the topic (e.g., weighing arguments and counterarguments, developing new alternative solutions or compromises). On both tests, students who had taught outperformed their peers who had written study notes. Importantly, misteaching produced additional gains for argumentative reasoning over correct teaching, even after controlling for recall performance. Yet, students’ metacognitive judgments revealed that they were largely unaware of these benefits even after the tests. Overall, these findings demonstrate how learning by teaching and deliberate erring can be strategically combined to improve higher order outcomes such as argumentative reasoning, while highlighting the counterintuitive benefits of intentionally making errors in low-stakes contexts.

Keywords

Learning by teaching, Explaining, Learning from errors, Argumentation, Reasoning

Discipline

Applied Behavior Analysis | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Journal of Educational Psychology

Volume

117

Issue

7

First Page

1013

Last Page

1038

ISSN

0022-0663

Identifier

10.1037/edu0000934

Publisher

American Psychological Association

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000934

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