Expertise Development and Scientific Thinking

Abstract

<p>The focus of expertise research is on exceptionally advanced performance in professions that require long academic—and at least partly scientific—education before entering into work. Surprisingly, only a few studies have systematically examined the role of scientific thinking in expertise development. Many studies have shown that initial scientific knowledge seems to disappear during the course of expertise development. This conclusion was challenged by the theory of encapsulation, which describes how formal scientific knowledge is integrated with practical knowledge during work experience. This raises questions for expertise research: How do scientists themselves reason and how do they develop these skills? The aim of this chapter is to summarise existing findings about the relationship between expertise development and scientific thinking.<br></p>