Undergraduates’ Conceptualization of Systems Thinking

This study investigated undergraduates’ conceptualization of systems thinking (ST). An open-ended question was administered pre- and post-course. Pre-test findings revealed limited conceptualization, with most students unable to articulate core ST attributes. Post-course responses showed reasonable improvement, with seven key attributes—interconnectedness, feedback, causality, systems boundary, mapping, emergent behaviour, and synthesis—emerging to varying extents in their responses. While nearly all students indicated interconnectedness and mapping, fewer mentioned feedback and systems boundary, indicating these as higher-order cognitive skills. A continuum was also developed to categorize students’ conceptualization from inadequate to canonical; this also indicated that only a few students demonstrated engagement with the key attributes of ST. Novel analytical approaches such as attributes prevalence tables, attributes continuum, and evolution of threshold concepts have contributed to different modes for exploring ST in the responses. Findings underscore the complexity of ST and the challenges in fostering holistic conceptualization. Overall, the study highlights a nuanced engagement with the attributes of ST from the intervention and suggests that further work is necessary to better foster these among the students.