Mapping Systems Thinking Pedagogies in Social Science Education: A Scoping Review With an Emphasis on Sustainability

ABSTRACT

This scoping review explores how systems thinking has been conceptualized, taught and applied within educational contexts oriented toward social‐system understanding and sustainability‐related learning objectives from 2015 to 2025, with a focus on integrating sustainability. On 2 May 2025, the review systematically searched ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar and identified 19 peer‐reviewed studies covering primary to tertiary levels. Using Arksey and O'Malley's five‐stage framework and the PRISMA‐ScR guidelines, two reviewers independently screened and classified the records, while the author extracted the detailed bibliographic and methodological data and conducted the thematic narrative synthesis. Findings related to pedagogical design include multi‐week inquiry modules, narrative‐rich workshops and participatory co‐learning experiences reported to support reasoning and collaboration across various age groups. Theoretical frameworks and analytical tools encompass general systems theory, transformative learning, soft‐systems methodologies and computational techniques such as system dynamics. Sustainability integration is evident through alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), content framing around environmental and social issues and policy‐informed simulations, leading to recommendations for curriculum development, teacher training and cross‐sector partnerships. This review highlights hybrid pedagogies that integrate conceptual models with participatory and computational methods, with studies reporting improvements in systems literacy and sustainability skills. The implications suggest incorporating systems‐focused outcomes into social science curricula and promoting authentic, policy‐relevant projects to prepare learners for the complex global challenges they will face.