The ability of scientific argumentation has become the essential core ability of modern citizens. The paper aims to illustrate citizens’ understanding of argumentation over controversial scientific issues based on a study of pre-service science teachers by using measuring scale that was created by Martin et al in their study. In particular, it aims to illustrate how these teachers view the quality of arguments related to argumentation in the context of a socio-scientific issue on energy. The results suggest that the level of argumentation about socio-scientific issues of the citizens is relatively low, which mainly reflects their weak awareness of argumentation and incompetence in debating structure. They don’t realize the importance of refutation in an argumentation. There is no significant difference in the argumentation level in gender. In addition, the citizens under study lack sensitivity to socio-scientific issues. On the basis of the study, some suggestions are put forward: Strengthen science essence education in primary and secondary schools to engage students to learn scientific epistemology; attach importance to pre-service teacher’s argumentation ability and cultivate their ability by combining written and oral practices; create a scientific and rational social atmosphere and encourage discussions on socio-scientific issues.