Systems thinking is an analytical tool complementary to other educational frameworks that works to identify system components, predict system behaviours, and modify systems to achieve desired outcomes. Systems consist of interconnected components whose interactions produce an outcome or ‘function’ that is greater than the sum of its individual parts. For example, a clock is a system as its gears, wheels, levers, and springs work together to express the time, an emergent property that no single component can reproduce on its own. More information on systems, their properties, and the importance of systems thinking can be found here. 1,2
1 Meadows, D. H. Thinking in Systems: A Primer; Wright, D., Ed.; Earthscan: London, UK, 2009.
2 Arnold, R. D.; Wade, J. P. A Definition of Systems Thinking: A Systems Approach. Procedia Computer Science 2015, 44, 669–678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.03.050
Sustainability broadly describes the relationship between people and the planet. There is urgent pressure on chemistry to address emerging global challenges such as climate change and public health crises. Chemistry, as a central and connecting science focused on the structures, properties, and transformations of all matter in our world, can begin to safeguard Earth and its inhabitants by reorienting towards more sustainable practices. Approaching issues with a systems thinking perspective centered around sustainability can help chemists understand the interactions between material, planetary, and societal systems.
Chemistry itself is a system that is designed to support a comprehensive understanding of chemical entities. Traditional chemistry education has often been limited in scope to linear thinking where students often learn isolated facts rather than understanding the relationships among them. Viewing the field of chemistry as a dynamic system enables both educators and students to focus on the interconnected components of chemistry, helping to deliver useful applications, solve challenges, reduce risks, and improve safety and sustainability. The system of organized chemistry knowledge provides part of the essential platform required to understand the interconnectedness of material/molecular basis of sustainability, biochemistry, and many other disciplines.
Learning and applying systems thinking during chemistry education has several important benefits for chemistry students:
- Chemistry, a system in itself, becomes more comprehensible and coherent, facilitating teaching and learning between different topics.
- Chemistry becomes more clearly connected with real-world contexts, making chemistry education more accessible and engaging.
- Students are equipped with multi-dimensional and transferable skills that can be applied to various complex problems and situations.
- Systems thinking can be integrated with and used alongside other learning approaches, including both problem-based and context-based educational frameworks.
- Students develop systems thinking skills that set the foundation required for a sustainable future.
Read more about the benefits of systems thinking for students here.
Learning chemistry through a systems thinking lens helps citizens cope with the changing world by better understanding how matter, energy, the environment, and society are interconnected. It is important to understand that chemistry in itself and the teaching of chemistry are not only about memorizing isolated facts but understanding real-life issues such as environmental and human health and energy transitions. Individuals equipped with systems thinking skills have increased capacity to think critically and make responsible choices to safeguard our future. Read more about the benefits of systems thinking for students, educators and the broader community here.
Systems thinking can be integrated into chemistry education in a variety of ways, including via the plan, implement, and assess approach featured in this SaSTICE resource. These steps, plus additional information on the teaching of systems thinking, can be found in Teaching Chemistry Using Systems Thinking.
Systems thinking is an educational framework that can be learned, taught, and implemented by any individual. Systems thinking is designed to help participants gain the skills required to think critically about various concepts as part of an interconnected web rather than isolated parts. In the context of chemistry, systems thinking encourages sustainability related thinking, ethical behaviors, and responsible practices. The capacity to utilize systems thinking is a transferable skill and can be applied in many complex situations and across numerous disciplines.
Like all educational frameworks, there are challenges associated with the implementation of systems thinking. An overview of some of these challenges and their respective solutions can be found in here.
Systems thinking is an educational framework that can be integrated alongside other pedological approaches to provide a complementary perspective that addresses areas that can generally be overlooked. Systems thinking is not designed to replace traditional methods of chemistry education but work alongside these approaches to foster a holistic understanding of chemistry that promotes a sustainable future.