Critical events in the development of scientific thinking among communication and journalism students

Abstract

University studies represent large, overarching changes in students’ epistemological beliefs and thinking skills. Scientific thinking skills are crucial for communication and journalism (CJ) students and graduates. However, the development of CJ students’ thinking remains relatively unexplored. The aim of this study was to understand students’ perceptions of the characteristics and significance of critical events in the development of scientific thinking in CJ university education. We employed interview data (N=34) from students in two Finnish universities. In a qualitative critical event analysis, we identified four types of critical events in the five-year education of the students; (a) first times, (b) learning hands-on and gaining agency, (c) thinking together, and (d) working hard and overcoming challenges. The development of scientific thinking through critical events was experienced by the students as epistemological change and strengthened competence as a future academic expert. Altogether, our results shed light on thinking development as a tumultuous process in communication education, and how this process relates to students’ emerging professional expertise. We discuss both the theoretical and pedagogical implications of our findings to communication education–especially the importance of challenging students in scientific thinking, offering early research-oriented teaching, and acknowledging the overarching role of scientific thinking throughout the curriculum.