Purpose: This paper traces the conceptual bases of the recently introduced microAKIS concept with the aim of understanding its grounding within and critically discussing its added value for the broader AKIS concept. Design/methodology/approach: The article is designed as a discussion paper, it builds upon all openly accessible articles in January…

This article applies system theory to the analysis of the relationship between the EU and candidate country Serbia, with a focus on adult education policy. The study explores how the peripheral status of Serbia with its hybrid political regime combining autocratic and democratic features leads to the hybridisation of its adult education system,…

A design-based research study on the development of one-page tools to support systemic thinking in public managers is presented. Study participants included public managers of social and human service agencies within government or nonprofit organizations, as learners for whom the tools were designed; and instructional design professionals,…

Collective Intelligence (CI) is important for groups that seek to address shared problems. CI in human groups can be mediated by educational technologies. The current paper presents a framework to support design thinking in relation to CI educational technologies. Our framework is grounded in an organismic-contextualist developmental perspective…

Access to arts education in the United States continues to be inequitably distributed as a function of socioeconomic status and race. In response, arts practitioners and policymakers have worked to expand access to arts education among children from lower-income households and racially or ethnically minoritized (REM) backgrounds. In so doing, they…

The need for change in the education system is obvious and overwhelming. But each stakeholder group has its own ideas about why the system is broken and how to fix it. Competing priorities, political inertia and diminishing budgets maintain the dysfunctional status quo. This essential text examines the underlying causes behind the key challenges…

This paper examines the value of embedding a systems-thinking lens in higher education research. A systems approach enables institutions to move beyond isolated interventions to explore the broader relationships and structures influencing learning and development by addressing the interconnected dimensions of people, processes, and technology. The…

The educational technology field is at a critical juncture, facing the dual pressures of rapid technological advancement and a pressing need for research that genuinely addresses educational challenges. Despite increasing awareness of these issues, a significant amount of educational technology research remains entrenched in superficial or…

Academic and research libraries are undergoing a profound transformation, shaped by technological advancements, shifting societal dynamics, and evolving institutional priorities. This essay examines how these forces are driving libraries to evolve into specialized and distinct models, shaping their future and drawing parallels to the Cambrian…

This paper presents a novel contribution to the discourse surrounding Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in relation to education and society by using systems theory. We argue that ChatGPT can be understood not just as an 'artificial' intelligence but that it is entangled in the evolution of society and therefore education. ChatGPT is a…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused extreme hardships for K-12 schools throughout the United States, exacerbating existing challenges such as rising mental health concerns among students, teacher fatigue, and workforce shortages. This article examines the enduring impacts of the pandemic on students, school professionals, and school systems, and…

As attacks on critical race theory continue, anti-Black violence remains normalized, with schools often unwilling to transform toward racial healing. Sharing narratives from urban school-based practitioner projects, the authors conceptualize an applied critical race theory systems change model. After clarifying four tenets to guide teacher…

This report examines how First 5 Alameda can lead efforts to strengthen alignment and coherence across Alameda County's early childhood mixed delivery system. As the agency administering Measure C and partnering on the Oakland Children's Initiative, First 5 Alameda is well positioned to help build a more integrated early care and education system.…

Through Target 4.7 of SDG4 on 'quality education', Agenda 2030 invites governments to take ownership of progress towards ensuring 'Education for Sustainable Development' (ESD) becomes embedded into all levels of education. However, conceptual analysis suggests an ongoing blindspot related to the significance of systems literacy in fostering the…

Arctic security is a complex and interconnected domain shaped by environmental change, geopolitical competition, economic interests, and sociocultural dynamics. Traditional security education often relies on reductionist methods that fail to capture these interdependencies, leading to fragmented decision-making. This paper introduces the Security…