The world has experienced rapid changes, leading to pressing issues such as environmental degradation, social inequality, and resource depletion. As a transdisciplinary field, evaluation has emerged as a crucial tool in addressing these challenges and promoting systemic change. However, concerns have been raised regarding the field's capacity to…

This article contributes to the literature by proposing a methodological approach that scholars in all research fields can use to develop high-quality explanatory typologies. We argue that every typology should be constructed using a systematic, transparent process and must have a strong theoretical foundation to validate its explanatory value.…

This article outlines the impacts of COVID-19 on higher education and provides a contextual assessment of how higher education systems can provide support to institutions and stakeholders through a formulated planning process which helps identify, plan, and achieve strategic goals in response to fluctuating priorities.

An ecological framework is often used to describe the context for learning in educational research and practice. However, there is often a focus on descriptive aspects that frame the ecosystem as a complicated set of interconnected elements--but not a true complex problem. Acknowledging connections between ecosystem elements is not enough to…

Contribution: An evaluation of the effectiveness of systems engineering (SE) courses in developing students' systems thinking (ST) capacity in both the cognitive and affective domains. A combined cognitive ST performance and affective engagement with ST assessment is proposed as an approach to assess students' ST in both domains. The results can…

The articles in the current special issue advance the literature on Tier 2 in the crucial area of discussing adaptations to existing Tier 2 interventions to enhance positive student outcomes. Adaptation is common practice in school settings. Thus, setting up recommendations, or embedding guiding principles for how to successfully adapt Tier 2…

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of the development of learning organization concepts from the perspective of Dr. Peter Senge and presents an interesting evolution of his systems oriented view of the learning organization field over three decades. Design/methodology/approach: Through a conversation with a thought leading scholar,…

In this session, Eaton examines how a systems approach is needed to address contract cheating in its various forms. Using the 4M framework, Eaton demonstrates the role of the individual (micro), the department (meso), the learning organization (macro) and stakeholders beyond the institution (mega). In this session, Eaton shares insights from her…

In this paper, we discuss our approach to designing a board game, the Green Economy, that promotes systems thinking. We anchored our game design process on design-by-analogy and rapid prototyping concepts by taking a modular approach to overcome the trade-off between realism and simplicity. The unique feature of the Green Economy enables players…

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…

This study refines and advances the Framework for evaluating Scientific Literacy (SL) within science textbooks/curricula by integrating "cognitive", "affective", and "sustainability" dimensions. Through a systematic review and analysis of 22 studies, the research identifies emerging themes to restructure the Cansiz…

This study examines how student-led game creation can serve as a transformative pedagogical model for integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into vocational education. Drawing on a semester-long, project-based course in a Chinese vocational university, the research investigates how designing educational games shaped students'…

This position paper uses an ecological approach to examine how the interface between digital technology and education might be taken up as a complex system with interconnected facets that hold a range of implications. We understand the concept of ecology as the science of relations between living and non-living organisms and the environment, and…

In this article, we apply the concept of systemness to music and arts teacher professional development (PD), arguing that to address perennial issues of access and scale, PD policy should be understood as a systems issue. Using systems theory as a lens and the robust and integrated PD system in Singapore as an exemplar, we address the following…

This article aims to provide a systemic instrument to evaluate the functioning of higher education systems. Despite systemic instruments have had a strong impact on the management of public policy systems in fields such as health and innovation, higher education has not been widely discussed in applying this type of instrument. Herein lies the…