Characterising the development of the understanding of human body systems in high-school biology students – a longitudinal study

Snapir, Zohar; Eberbach, Catherine; Assaraf, Orit Ben-Zvi; Hmelo‐Silver, Cindy E.; Tripto, Jaklin

doi:10.1080/09500693.2017.1364445

Cited by 37 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Due to the substantive agreement between the systems thinking skills described by Mehren et al (2018) and those characterized in alternative models, we assume that they form an elementary set of related cognitive activities associated with understanding a complex system. We consider the following aspects to be common: (a) identifying system organization, (b) analyzing system behavior, and (c) modeling system evolution (Mehren et al, 2018; Orion & Libarkin, 2014; Snapir et al, 2017). We are convinced that existing differences in naming or conceptualization do not contradict our assumption.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first skill addresses the fact that to understand complex systems, students need to identify a complex realm of reality in terms of its organization as a system and be able to describe the relevant components and patterns (Ben‐Zvi Assaraf & Orion, 2005; Booth Sweeney & Sterman, 2007; Mehren et al, 2018; Snapir et al, 2017; Tripto et al, 2017). The second skill regards the analysis of system behavior , which is defined by analyzing system characters, functions, and behaviors.…”

Section: Conceptualization Of Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This involves the analysis of system development and functional processes as well as the analysis of both direct and indirect cause‐and‐effect relations between the identified elements of the system (Hokayem & Gotwals, 2016; Mehren et al, 2018; Sommer & Lücken, 2010). The third skill, system modeling , describes the skills needed to model hypothesized prospective target states of the system (Eilam & Reisfeld, 2017; Mehren et al, 2018; Snapir et al, 2017; Tripto et al, 2017). This becomes particularly relevant when modeling interventions in complex systems.…”

Section: Conceptualization Of Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the relevance of systems thinking to science education is growing internationally among educational researchers and policymakers (Jacobson & Wilensky, 2006; National Research Council [NRC], 2012; NGSS Lead States, 2013; Verhoeff, Knippels, Gilissen, & Boersma, 2018), a coherent conceptualization of systems thinking in educational settings across fields is still missing. While specific cognitive activities seem to be relevant to understanding complex systems beyond particular contexts (Orion & Libarkin, 2014; Snapir, Eberbach, Ben‐Zvi Assaraf, Hmelo‐Silver, & Tripto, 2017; Tripto, Ben‐Zvi Assaraf, Snapir, & Amit, 2017), it is still uncertain whether domain‐general levels of systems thinking exist and how they are to be classified.…”

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confidence: 99%

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The impact of system specifics on systems thinking

et al. 2020

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Present and future social and ecological challenges are complex both to understand and to attempt to solve. To comprehend the complex systems underlying these issues, students need systems thinking skills. However, in science education, a uniform delineation of systems thinking across contexts has yet to be established. While there seems to be consensus on a number of key skills from a theoretical perspective, it remains uncertain whether it is possible to distinguish levels of systems thinking, and if so, how they would be determined. In this study, we investigated the impact of the specifics of a system on the skills and levels of systems thinking. We administered a 36‐item multiple‐choice test to 196 Grade 5 and 6 students. For our analysis, we followed a quantitative approach, applying a systems thinking model that incorporates the latest insights on the levels and skills of systems thinking in geography to the context of ecology. By following an Item Response Theory approach, we confirmed a set of systems thinking skills that are necessary to understand complex systems in ecology: identifying system organization, analyzing system behavior, and system modeling. We examined whether individual skill levels can be distinguished to determine whether a system's general principle or system‐specific features cause difficulty for students. Our results indicate that system specifics, such as type of relation within ecosystems (e.g., predator–prey), appear to determine the formation of levels. Students struggled most with the difference between basic, direct cause‐and‐effect relationships and indirect effects. Once they understood the relevance of indirect relationships in moderately complex systems, a further increase in complexity caused little additional difficulty. Accordingly, we suggest that systems thinking should be examined from a variety of perspectives. To promote interdisciplinary learning, a systems thinking model that defines key commonalities across fields while leaving space for system specifics is needed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptualization Of Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptualization Of Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of system specifics on systems thinking

et al. 2020

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“…(Stewart, 2012). Understanding the complexity of ecological system is therefore crucial to a proper understanding of what they are and how they work (Snapir et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Elementary School Students Understand the Complexity of the Lesser Kestrel’s Ecological system?

2020

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Making an impression: What do students who attended an informal evolution enrichment program in the sixth‐grade recall from the experience 3 years later?

Nesimyan-Agadi

Assaraf

2021

J Res Sci Teach

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Informal learning environments such as Natural History Museums can introduce visitors to a variety of topics in evolution by providing accessible representations of concepts like geological time, evolutionary mechanisms, biological diversity, geological time, and fossil dating. Our study examined sixth-grade students' conceptualization of evolutionary ideas following four extracurricular, evolution-themed "Science Days" at Nature Campus-an informal learning environment that employs an extensive combination of resources, including fossils, mounted specimens, and labs, as well as zoological and botanical gardens. The purpose of

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Characterising the development of the understanding of human body systems in high-school biology students – a longitudinal study

Cited by 37 publications

References 62 publications

The impact of system specifics on systems thinking

The impact of system specifics on systems thinking

Can Elementary School Students Understand the Complexity of the Lesser Kestrel’s Ecological system?

Making an impression: What do students who attended an informal evolution enrichment program in the sixth‐grade recall from the experience 3 years later?

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