Rethinking the design of communication theory pedagogy

ABSTRACT

The creation of innovative and impactful communication theories depends on improving our theorizing practices. A grounded practical theory analysis of communication theory textbooks and exercises explored representations of theorizing and what it means for students to think like theorists. The analysis suggests that communication theory pedagogy embraces a model of theorizing as practical application where existing theories and deductive reasoning are used to understand communication situations and develop communication practices. Theorizing as practical invention is offered as a complementary approach to theorizing as practical application that centers on the creation of theories and explanations using abduction. Implications for communication theory pedagogy grounded in theorizing as practical invention are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• communication theory
• theory construction
• practice
• grounded practical theory
• abduction

Notes

1 Quotations were drawn from each journal’s aims and scopes statement found at: Human Communication Research (https://academic.oup.com/hcr/pages/About); Communication Research (https://journals.sagepub.com/aims-scope/CRX); Critical Studies in Media Communication (https://nca.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=rcsm20); and Communication Theory (https://academic.oup.com/ct/pages/About).

2 Griffin et al. (2019) index the term “practical” in relation to theory (see pp. 36–44). However, this section focuses on presenting Craig’s (1999) communication traditions as opposed to coverage of practical theory or grounded practical theory.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

J. Kevin Barge

J. Kevin Barge (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University. I would like to thank Robert T. Craig and Karen Tracy for providing feedback on earlier drafts of this essay. Correspondence to J. Kevin Barge, Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4234 U.S.A. Email: [email protected]