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LITERATURE REVIEW
Mechanistic reasoning in science education: A literature review
1
Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS
2
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Jember, Jember, East Java, INDONESIA
Publication date: 2022-10-06
EURASIA J. Math., Sci Tech. Ed 2022;18(11):em2178
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
There is a growing research interest in mechanistic reasoning (MR) in the field of science
education, as this type of reasoning is perceived as an essential thinking skill for science education.
This literature review synthesized 60 science education studies on MR published from 2006 to
2021. The findings showed three common aspects of conceptualizations of MR in science
education: (1) causality in relation to MR, (2) use of entities and their associated activities, and (3)
use of entities at (at least) one scale level below the scale level of a target phenomenon. While
most of the reviewed studies related the importance of MR to cognitive aspects, a smaller number
associated its value with scientific modelling. Three main difficulties in generating MR were
categorized: (1) identifying and using unobservable entities, (2) assigning activities to entities, and
(3) identifying and using an appropriate number of entities. Various types of support for fostering
MR were identified. Implications and future studies are discussed.
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