Embodied Cognition and Predictive Processing in Systems Practice Education: Designing an MSc Programme

ABSTRACT

This paper describes an advance in systems education supporting the teaching and learning of embodied systems thinking practice through an innovative master's‐level programme developed by the authors as part of the Birmingham Leadership Institute academic team at the University of Birmingham, UK. The programme integrates systems thinking, updated theories of human perception and systemic leadership. Prototyped over the past 4 years, it builds embodied systems capabilities that enable students to use relational and inclusive systems approaches to address complex issues in the UK public, private and charity sectors. Central to the programme approach is an understanding of recent advances in neuroscience, which have created a paradigm shift in our understanding of cognition and emotion and how the two combine as part of a predictive process to inform human sense‐making. This paper describes two primary innovations that come from this. First, using practice‐based evidence and feedback from our students, we discuss how body‐based reflections and broader design principles shift practitioners' approach to complex problems and systemic interventions. Second, we explore how this integrates into a wider systems practice and leadership programme curriculum. We also position our work as a call to action for educators and practitioners to adopt more holistic and interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating contemporary theories of the embodied mind.