The Theoretical Nature of Systems Thinking. Perspectives on Systems Thinking in Biology Education

Verhoeff, Roald P.; Knippels, Marie‐Christine P. J.; Gilissen, Melde G. R.; Boersma, Kerst

doi:10.3389/feduc.2018.00040

Cited by 100 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Most notably, this is the first literature study to our knowledge on the use and implications of levels of organisations in both biology and science education. Our results may help teachers and science educators implementing levels of organisation into their learning environments and therefore to identify parts, processes, and their relationship to each other, which are all crucial aspects of systems thinking [1,2].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Systems thinking is described as a cognitive skill [1] that is much needed, to understand interrelations and dependences in systems and demands students "to translate environmental problems, such as water pollution, into a more coherent understanding of the environment" [60] (p. 519). Understanding phenomena like water pollution or the carbon cycle as systems may be crucial to peaceful coexistence with the environment [61].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…"Systems thinking has become synonymous to developing coherent understanding of complex biological processes and phenomena from the molecular level to the level of ecosystems". [1]…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Organising Levels of Organisation for Biology Education: A Systematic Review of Literature

Schneeweiß

Gropengießer

2019

Education Sciences

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Many authors suggest an explicit reflection on the levels of organisation, based on known difficulties related to understanding biological systems. Yet, there is no scientific consensus on the characteristics of biological levels and the quality of their relationships. This review intends to present the state of the current discussion in order to establish an educational argumentation as a basis for the development of learning environments and teaching experiments in biology education. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic literature review. Three databases (BIOSIS, ERIC, Fachportal-Pädagogik) were searched for literature on levels of organisation. The papers were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis based on the following research questions: (1) Which levels of organisation do the authors name? (2) How do the authors describe the levels of organisation? (3) How do the authors describe the relationship between different levels of organisation? (4) How do the authors describe the challenges of these levels for biological education? (5) How do the authors describe the benefit of these levels for biological education? Based on the results, we propose a system of levels that features the concept of zooming-in and makes the relationships between the levels explicit.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Organising Levels of Organisation for Biology Education: A Systematic Review of Literature

Schneeweiß

Gropengießer

2019

Education Sciences

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“…Despite this, however, calls for empirical research on the effects of systems thinking in applied settings have not been adequately answered (3,37,38). Further, more research is needed on which core systems thinking skills should be acquired and how they can be enhanced through learning and teaching strategies (39).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systems thinking as a pathway to global warming beliefs and attitudes through an ecological worldview

Ballew

Goldberg

Rosenthal

et al. 2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Prior research has found that systems thinking, the tendency to perceive phenomena as interconnected and dynamic, is associated with a general proenvironmental orientation. However, less is known about its relationship with public understanding of climate change and/or whether this relationship varies across people with different political views. Because climate change is a highly politicized issue, it is also important to understand the extent to which systems thinking can foster acceptance of climate science across political lines. Using an online sample of US adults (n = 1,058), we tested the degree to which systems thinking predicts global warming beliefs and attitudes (e.g., believing that global warming is happening, that it is human-caused, etc.), independent of an ecological worldview (i.e., the New Ecological Paradigm). We found that although systems thinking is positively related to global warming beliefs and attitudes, the relationships are almost fully explained by an ecological worldview. Indirect effects of systems thinking are consistently strong across political ideologies and party affiliations, although slightly stronger for conservatives and Republicans than for liberals and Democrats, respectively. We did not find evidence of the converse: Systems thinking does not seem to mediate the relationship between an ecological worldview and global warming beliefs and attitudes. Together, these findings suggest that systems thinking may support the adoption of global warming beliefs and attitudes indirectly by helping to develop an ecological ethic that people should take care of and not abuse the environment. systems thinking | New Ecological Paradigm | climate change | attitudes | climate change communicationThe challenges associated with environmental protection today are multifaceted and affected by many interacting factors. The challenges operate on various, often large, spatial scales, unfold on long temporal scales, and usually have global implications (for example, carbon dynamics, nutrient cycles, and ocean acidification). Dealing with these problems will require systems thinking and integrated multidisciplinary science.

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“…to adopt a systems-thinking perspective). This perspective does not rely on conceptual knowledge and instead requires an analytical approach (19,20). Critical thinking and problem-solving are needed to explain how components interact to support the function of the system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using computational modeling to teach metabolism as a dynamic system improves student performance

Song²,

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Author ContributionsTH, RLR, BAC, and KVD conceived of the concept. CSB, TH, RLR, and KVD designed assessment questions with input from BAC and MEH. CSB designed computational models, developed overall module structure, and collected data. CSB, RLR and KVD designed module questions and refined the module structure with input from TH. MEH and SMS provided instructor-level feedback and RH provided usability feedback about modules. AR and AS built software features. CSB and CS analyzed the data. CSB, TH, RLR, BAC, MEH and KVD provided critical feedback and shaped the research and analysis. CSB, TH, and RLR wrote the manuscript with input from BAC and KVD. All authors commented on the manuscript. AbstractUnderstanding metabolic function requires knowledge of the dynamics, interdependence, and regulation of biochemical networks. However, current approaches are not optimal to develop the needed mechanistic understanding, and misconceptions about biological processes persist even after graduation. To address these issues, we developed a computational modeling and simulation approach that employs scaffolded learning to teach biochemistry students about the regulation of metabolism. The power of the approach lies in students' abilities to alter any component or connection in a modeled system and instantly observe the effects of their changes.We find that students who use our approach perform better on biochemistry metabolism questions compared to students in a course that did not use this approach. We also investigated performance by gender and found that our modules may have the potential to increase equity in education. We noted that students are generally positive about the approach and appreciate its benefits. Our modules provide life science instructors with a dynamic and systems-driven approach to teach metabolic regulation and control that improves learning and also equips students with important technical skills.

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The Theoretical Nature of Systems Thinking. Perspectives on Systems Thinking in Biology Education

Cited by 100 publications

References 20 publications

Organising Levels of Organisation for Biology Education: A Systematic Review of Literature

Organising Levels of Organisation for Biology Education: A Systematic Review of Literature

Systems thinking as a pathway to global warming beliefs and attitudes through an ecological worldview

Using computational modeling to teach metabolism as a dynamic system improves student performance

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