Musings of an Old Chemist

A Chemist's Perspective on the Habits and Skills STEM Students Need For Success

Tag: critical thinking

  • Beyond the Textbook: Why Critical Thinking is Your Ultimate STEM Skill

    Beyond the Textbook: Why Critical Thinking is Your Ultimate STEM Skill

    As a STEM student, you’re constantly immersed in data, complex equations, and technical concepts. You’ve known and mastered the Scientific Method—observing, hypothesizing, experimenting, and concluding—but that structured process is only half the battle. The other, perhaps more crucial, half is Critical Thinking. While the Scientific Method is a rigid framework for inquiry, critical thinking is the flexible process that drives it. It’s the difference between merely memorizing a formula and truly understanding its foundations and limitations. For you, this means going beyond rote learning to actively and skillfully analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the information you encounter in the lab, the lecture hall, and the world around you.

    This analytical mindset comprises several core skills essential to your future, regardless of which career path you choose.. 

    First, you must develop a relentless habit of questioning information. Don’t just question external sources; turn that rigorous examination onto your own work. You must constantly ask: Is this data truly reproducible? Are my initial assumptions that led to this result reliable? This internal skepticism is key. 

    Second, the ability to perform careful error analysis is primary. This means moving past simply reporting a “failed” test and instead recognizing the subtle flaws in your experimental design, data collection methods, or calculations. Master the ability to identify the sources of error in your experiment. This isn’t about placing the blame on yourself or others; it’s about learning and improving. 

    Third, you must effectively evaluate information sources. When researching a project, learn to distinguish sound, evidence-based conclusions from claims based upon false assumptions or bias. This skill is vital when designing an experiment or reading specialized technical literature.

    Real-world Example: Evaluating an Information Source

    A thoughtful, analytical evaluation of an Information source serves as an excellent example of applying this critical evaluation skill—essential for navigating the complex media environment today. All too frequently, we accept what we encounter online or on message boards as fact. Regardless of whether we agree with the content or not, we rarely take the time to determine its validity. This requires a rigorous assessment of the information’s credibility, accuracy, and fairness. 

    Your process begins with understanding who the source is; this means performing quick additional research to assess who created the content, including the purpose behind the creation of the content and any editorial bias, while verifying the author’s expertise. Highly sensational headlines or anonymity should immediately raise your suspicion. 

    Next, shift your focus to fact-checking the content itself. Examine the quality of evidence, looking specifically for hard data, statistics with cited methodologies, and primary sources, while simultaneously checking the language for emotional arguments or wording that signals an intent to persuade or distract you intentionally, versus simply reporting objectively. 

    Finally, your evaluation must thoroughly assess the argument’s fairness and completeness. This means checking that the source acknowledges and fairly represents opposing viewpoints, offers criticized parties a chance to respond or rebut the information or opinion, and avoids relying on unstated, implied assumptions.

    Ultimately, this comprehensive process moves you beyond merely accepting the Information as fact, leading you to an informed decision about the material’s actual validity and practical usefulness.

    Conclusion

    Critical thinking is the key factor that elevates a capable STEM student into an innovative and successful scientist or engineer. It’s the powerful mechanism that allows you to process complex, unstructured data, recognize underlying patterns, and formulate valid logical conclusions where standard solutions may not exist. This skill deepens comprehension and improves retention, translating theoretical concepts into practical, usable knowledge for your future development.

    I strongly urge you to cultivate your expertise in challenging assumptions, analyzing evidence, and applying logical reasoning now. By doing so, you position yourself as an active contributor in your field, not merely a passive learner and recipient of information. As the volume of data and pace of technology accelerate, remember this lasting truth: your most indispensable tool for lifelong learning and effective problem-solving isn’t the newest gadget or a sophisticated piece of machinery. It is your inherent capacity to think in an evidence-based, exact, and open-minded manner. 

  • Introducing Essential Skills: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

    Introducing Essential Skills: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

    The terms “hard skills” and “soft skills” were first used by the U.S. Army in the early 1970’s to distinguish between technical and interpersonal abilities (Britannica Money, 2025). The term “soft skills” is specifically attributed to researcher Paul G. Whitmore, who used it in a 1972 U.S. Army training conference (MDPI, 2023; PMC, 2023).

    You’re presented with and expected to learn and master a great deal of technical information (hard skills) in your STEM coursework and on-the-job training. These “hard skills” are the specific, teachable abilities related to your particular field of interest. And while that know-how is important, it’s not the only thing that matters. Instructors tend to focus so heavily on teaching the technical aspects (computer programming, data analysis, math, and scientific principles) that they tend to neglect or overlook equally important soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, perseverance, resilience, problem-solving, and time management. 

    Soft skills, like hard skills, may be developed through practice, self-awareness, training, and experience. These four are essential for your success: practice (you must make an investment in time and effort), self-awareness (recognize your strengths and weaknesses, your goals and aspirations), training (throughout your career there is a need for continuing education), and experience (success does not happen overnight, it accrues over your lifetime.)

    Commentary

    Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn many skills, from operating and maintaining advanced analytical instrumentation to chemical applications development to curriculum design. Yet, I did not develop the foundational “soft skills” I needed to be successful. Yes, I had the communication skills; I could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo, as one of my administrators used to say, I was passionate about solving problems, and I excelled at critical thinking. But no one had discussed with me, so I never truly developed or practiced the skills of perseverance and resilience. Nor did I recognize the dangers of my pride and the importance of humility. The lack of these traits caused me to struggle, to alienate the people I worked for and with, and when things got tough, to give up and switch directions, never accomplishing what I intended to do. Additionally, I was not introduced to the concept of self-awareness until late in life, a skill that would have assisted me greatly throughout my career.