Open AccessIn this article the question of how to unite scientific reasoning and practical knowledge is brought to the fore Experiences from a postgraduate course in special education are discussed, since attempts to make different vocational education programs more academic often lead to special problems. The overarching question connected with scientific reasoning can be formulated thus: “How do we gain assured knowledge about reality?”, a question with its roots in ontological, epistemological and methodological issues. Using such questions as a starting point for reflection proved to be a way to practice scientific thinking. In order to deepen the understanding of how knowledge is constructed, as well as of the contents of practical knowledge, tacit knowledge and scientific reasoning, some distinctions are made. First, three forms of knowledge products and knowledge processes are distinguished and secondly, the issue of unconscious and automatized knowledge is elaborated on.