Abstract
American education is failing to fill the growing demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates. The lack of critical reasoning skills may be a causal factor in student attrition from STEM majors. Our objective in this study was to discover and describe common false strategies used by undergraduate students during the scientific reasoning process. Each of these false strategies is described, with accompanying examples from student responses, to illustrate the thinking patterns. We defined targeted areas for instruction that can lead to better performance, greater academic self-confidence, and increased retention in STEM degrees. Understanding how students think through problems and where they are making mistakes facilitates the creation of specialized programs to correct these false reasoning strategies and increase the scientific reasoning ability of students.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
