Steve had a hunch that female students were more punctual than males in the classes that he taught. So, he began to keep track for a week in each class of how many male and female students came in after the class was scheduled to begin. His results supported his hypothesis. Steve is using

Deductive Reasoning

Explanation:

Deductive reasoning is a form of valid reasoning. Deductive reasoning begins with a general statement, or hypothesis, with the possibility of reaching a specific, logical conclusion.

Steve believed that girls were more punctual than boys in his class. He kept track of this and his result supported his hypothesis. For deductive reasoning to be sound, the hypothesis must be correct. This makes it deductive Reasoning.