Lieke Pieters, Talitha C. Visser, and Albert S. Y. Wong,
J. Chem. Educ. 2026,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c00989
The authors in this study developed a set of learning tools and investigated if conceptual modelling is an appropriate method of developing students systems thinking skills. This research was conducted with 156 students at the eighth and ninth grade levels and both the students and teachers associated with this study praised the learning tools for creating a collaborative learning environment. The results of this study suggest that systems thinking skills can be applied in practice without specific prior training and that the development of conceptual models implicitly requires systems thinking. The learning materials developed in this work are seen as broadly applicable to many educational settings and are envisioned as being able to increase teachers abilities to create educational activities that engage students in science.