Teaching Systems Thinking Concepts with Hypothetical Case Scenarios: An Exploration in Agricultural Education

Abstract

Educators within agricultural and natural resource disciplines are tasked with educating students to critically engage with and problem-solve complex issues. As society’s relationship with science and technology changes, coupled with an information-dense environment, strategies for sustainably addressing complex issues are needed. One potential approach for strategically addressing complex problems is systems thinking, which emphasizes the interdependence of the components of systems from ecological, social, and economic perspectives, among others. A mixed-methods study was used to explore the applicability of hypothetical case scenarios (HCS) as a teaching method to introduce and engage students in using systems thinking related to the seafood industry. Findings suggested HCS engaged students to think critically about socio-scientific issues. Participants demonstrated systems thinking capacity when discussing their decision-making processes in the hypothetical cases. The current study demonstrated the pedagogical potential of using HCS to enhance systems thinking capacities for students in the ANR disciplines. Implications for education and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Teaching Systems-Thinking Concepts with Hypothetical Case Scenarios: An Exploration in Food-Systems Science Education

“…Future research should examine HCSs over a longitudinal period of undergraduate studies, with baseline measurements of systems-thinking capacity [47], to determine the quantitative impact of such experiential learning techniques on students' systems-thinking development. Additionally, the authors recommend replicating the methods presented here, and in Sanders et al [46], across different context areas, to isolate the impacts of systems-thinking HCSs on student development. Specifically, replications could enhance content areas related to the SDGs, and education promoting the sustainable development of blue food systems to enhance global food security.…”

“…This study was part of a larger research effort to understand undergraduate students' systems-thinking abilities and understanding and their food-system and environmentally conscious consumption values. The methods paralleled Sanders et al [46], serving as an expansion of the pilot study and of the HCS methodology presented there.…”

The Influence of Sustainability on Identities and Seafood Consumption: Implications for Food Systems Education for Generation Z

“…Qualitative research engages in a less explicit version of validity, due to the socially constructed nature of the research process [56]. The study's credibility, or the researchers' confidence in the accuracy of the findings in relation to the sample, was supported through member checking and methodological triangulation (see [57]). The transferability of the study, defined as the applicability of findings in other contexts, was established through a thick description of the study population and educational context [55].…”

“…The study's dependability was established through an audit trail of data transcripts, researcher coding, and a codebook [58]. Finally, the confirmability of the study, defined as the extent to which findings reflect the intentions and meanings of the participants rather than researcher bias, was supported through the audit trail, researcher reflexivity and peer-debriefing, and data and methodological triangulation (see [57]). All methods of establishing the trustworthiness of the data were done in accordance with recommendations from Lincoln and Guba (1985) [55].…”

“…This study was part of a larger research effort that examined systems thinking in relation to seafood. The overarching study included a quantitative survey and focus group where students addressed hypothetical case scenarios about seafood (see [57]). In addition, a survey was used to collect data on students' system thinking capacities and green consumerism.…”