Exploring the Impartialities of Debate Motions in High School Parliamentary Debate Tournaments in Japan

Abstract

Given that debate motions should be impartial, meaning both the affirmative side and the negative side can build and defend their case on an equal basis, it is essential for any tournament organizers or classroom practitioners to evaluate the debate topics they have used or are to use with due consideration of motion fairness. The present study focuses on the debate motions used at six high school English parliamentary debate tournaments in Japan, totaling 24 motions with 540 rounds’ results. Quantitative analysis identified debate motions with great disparity between the affirmative winning ratio and the negative winning rate, which were then further analyzed qualitatively, yielding four traits that could partially account for the reason why the motions at hand were difficult for the affirmative side to win. In conclusion, the study suggests five considerations to be made when choosing motions for debate tournaments and classroom settings.