COGNITIVE TRAJECTORIES OF THE MODERN STUDENT: BETWEEN THE TECHNICAL AND HUMANITIES POLES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/psych.studies/2026.1.17Keywords:
metacognitive control, cognitive organization of learning, student thinking profiles, technical and humanities profiles, individual cognitive differences, university educational environmentAbstract
The article presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the cognitive trajectories of the contemporary student through the lens of differences between technical and humanities educational profiles. The relevance of the study is determined by the transformation of the educational environment under the influence of digitalization, the growing informational load, and the spread of fragmented modes of information processing, which reshape the nature of students’ learning activity. The aim of the study is to identify the psychological features of thinking among students of different educational fields and to outline their cognitive profiles as dynamic trajectories of interaction with learning materials. The research analyzes the specific features of analytical, semantic, and reflective information- processing strategies characteristic of students in technical and humanities programs. The findings indicate that the cognitive organization of learning manifests at the level of thinking styles, ways of structuring knowledge, selection of learning strategies, and patterns of interpreting informational content; however, these distinctions appear to be more tendency-based than polar. In particular, technical programs demonstrate a stronger orientation toward structured and step-by-step task performance, whereas the humanities profile shows a more pronounced tendency toward broader contextual interpretation of content. At the same time, individual cognitive trajectories are shaped through the interaction of the educational environment, personal resources, and the demands of academic activity. The results allow educational profile to be considered not as a static characteristic but as a factor influencing the development of metacognitive awareness, learning autonomy, and students’ ability to adapt to a complex informational space. The practical significance of the study lies in expanding the understanding of the diversity of cognitive strategies among contemporary students and in providing a foundation for designing differentiated approaches in higher education.
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