Constructive Use of Authoritative Sources Among Collaborative Knowledge Builders in a Social Science Classroom

Abstract

Constructive use of authoritative resources has been one of the important principles in knowledge building activities. However, how knowledge builders work together on their respective ideas and on external authoritative resources is understudied, especially in the social sciences when distinguishing advances made in the development of diverse ideas on a specific topic is a highly complex process for knowledge builders. Instead of using the conceptual inquiry thread as the unit of analysis, this study explores the responsive engagement of knowledge builders in each thread in order to reveal how achievement of deeper levels of knowledge advancement either were, or failed to be, achieved. In other words, the communal growth will be examined by evidence of authentic exchanges among knowledge builders. Results indicate that revised ideas were productive but knowledge building tended to remain incompatible with them. Possible explanations for the reluctance to incorporate idea improvement in social sciences are discussed.