Education Dynamics: A Systems Thinking Perspective

Public polices are instituted to create desired results in various domains. Policies implemented in social systems tend to fail due to the complexity of human relationships, including feedback that affects social behavior. Due to this complexity, even a policy implemented as a solution to a problem has the potential to worsen the status quo. Education systems are important examples of this scenario. One method to counter policy resistance is evidence-based learning. However, complex systems, like social systems, hinder the learning process. Beliefs and behaviors shape our mental model of a situation. The lengthy chronological distance between implemented policies, their impact, and subsequent results inhibits our ability to predict and prepare for the effects of a given policy on a social system. In this paper, systems thinking is explored as a tool for breaking through the limitations of our mental models in order to generate policies and learn from delayed evidence. A simple case is presented to illustrate the possible benefits of systems thinking on academic institutions, an example of a complex social system.