Research Talk: Systems Thinking in Science Education

Join Dr. Ihsan Ghazal from Texas Christian University, for a research presentation, "Research Talk: "Systems Thinking in Science Education: Nurturing Conceptual Understanding and Addressing Global Challenges." "I will explore exploring the transformative power of systems thinking in science education. In this talk, I discuss how I developed a systems thinking framework and used it to investigate how systems thinking enhances secondary students’ and Pre-Service Teachers’ (PSTs) understanding of body systems, unraveling effective instructional approaches. For my work with secondary students, I show how a systems thinking approach enhanced students’ reasoning of the immune system and supported revisions in curriculum and instruction. Shifting the focus to PSTs, I present findings on their conceptions of the nervous system, exploring the evolution of their understanding and the diverse reasoning levels involved. The presentation will progress, shedding light on the journey of PSTs’ understanding and the application of systems thinking to their instruction. Finally, I expand this framework to global challenges, such as climate change, by considering our world as a system, paving the way for effective pedagogical strategies and a holistic understanding of complex scientific concepts."