The impact of system specifics on systems thinking

Abstract

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.

Metacognitive Strategies for Developing Complex Geographical Causal Structures—An Interventional Study in the Geography Classroom

“…Causality describes a functional interdependence between a cause and an effect. Cause and effect emerge from a direct or indirect link or interaction between system elements [ 30 , 31 ]. The connection entails three aspects: effectiveness, the effective, and their interaction.…”

“…The mutual interference and feedback between system elements impede a factually logical identification of cause and effect, including the assignment of effect direction and type [ 52 ] (p. 21; Table 1 ). Mambrey et al [ 30 ] (pp. 15–17) analyse the often-missing factual understanding of students concerning causal relations and system properties, and conclude that there exist domain-specific hindrances for complexity ( Table 1 ).…”

“…The findings of Heuzeroth and Budke [7] (pp. [27][28][29][30] in particular suggest that metacognitive strategies for augmenting linguistic awareness and, as a consequence, the capability to verbalize complex geographical causal structures, be increasingly taken into account.…”

Measuring System Competence in Education for Sustainable Development

“…The aim of the present study was to develop an instrument for the assessment of system competence in the field of ESD which is not only reliable and valid, but also economical and easy to use and interpret, so that it can also be used for large-scale monitoring purposes in that field. To achieve this goal, we have developed a new test instrument that is not based on the content and principles of individual school subjects unlike existing tests or models addressing systems competence (see, e.g., Schecker and colleagues for physics [49], Mambrey and colleagues for biology [50], or Mehren and colleagues for geography [7]). Instead, it focuses on central themes and principles of ESD and, therefore, can be used independently of individual school subjects.…”

Um estudo sobre compreensões acerca de complexidade em teses e dissertações brasileiras de educação ambiental que se relacionam com a educação em ciências

“…Importante destacar que a literatura sobre sistemas complexos é vasta e variada (MITCHEL, 2009;LEVIN;KAPUR, 2019;MAMBREY et al, 2020;OSBERG;BIESTA;CILLIERS, 2008;SZEKELY;MASON, 2018). Dentre esses trabalhos, destacamos aqueles que apresentam resultados de estudos sobre diferentes ecossistemas, a partir da ideia de sistemas complexos (MAMBREY et al, 2020). Também chamamos a atenção para os trabalhos que relacionam o campo da educação e os sistemas complexos.…”