FROM STUDENT TO SCHOLAR: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL THINKING DEVELOPMENT AMONG ENGLISH MAJORS COMPLETING THE GRADUATION PAPER

Abstract

Research-based learning is increasingly recognized as a powerful approach for developing critical thinking and research competence in higher education. This study explores the lived experiences of fourth-year English majors at Thu Dau Mot University as they navigate the complexities of their graduation papers. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the study draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with six students to investigate how they perceive changes in their critical thinking patterns. Theoretical framing is provided by Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and Perry’s scheme of intellectual development. The findings suggest that the autonomy inherent in research-based learning can initially act as a disorienting dilemma and trigger anxiety. However, through the struggle of reconciling theory with data and overcoming the linguistic challenges of EFL expression, students move from reliance on authority toward greater ownership of their critical voice and a more relativistic view of knowledge. The graduation paper emerged as a critical site for perceived epistemic transformation, as students described moving from knowledge consumers toward knowledge producers. These findings have implications for the design of research-based curricula and supervisory practices that support students’ transition from learners to scholars