Overcoming Challenges to Using Systems Thinking - Becoming more familiar with systems thinking approaches

Overcoming Challenges to Using Systems Thinking

Becoming more familiar with systems thinking approaches

The challenge and opportunity:

“I don't have the knowledge to implement systems thinking in my classroom.”

Many educators express that they are not yet familiar with systems thinking concepts, tools, or teaching strategies—and that this unfamiliarity makes it difficult to imagine how ST fits into their current curriculum. Without clear guidance or examples, it’s completely reasonable to feel unsure about where or how to begin.

The good news is that training, examples rooted in chemistry, and taking advantage of professional development opportunities are increasingly available for systems thinking. And, Systems thinking builds directly on chemistry educators’ existing strengths—context-based approaches, real-world examples, problem-based learning, concept mapping. Once educators participate in training and see concrete examples, many quickly recognize ST as an extension of practices they already value.

Systems thinking becomes more approachable when educators have:

clear models of what it looks like in chemistry,
opportunities to try it in small steps,
peers to collaborate with, and
accessible resources that make implementation manageable.

With these supports in place, educators often report that systems thinking enhances their teaching, provides fresh ways to connect concepts, and offers students more meaningful engagement with chemistry’s role in global challenges (see reported benefits).

practical Strategies for Instructors

1. Engage in professional development

High-quality professional learning makes systems thinking feel concrete and achievable. Consider:
- webinars from Beyond Benign’s Green Chemistry Connections (video 1, video 2)
- the new Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Course, which explicitly links ST to green chemistry principles,
- curated publications highlighting ST in chemistry education.
These resources provide examples, templates, and classroom cases that make implementation far more accessible.

2. Collaborate with peers - inside and outside chemistry

Systems thinking thrives in community. Interdisciplinary and departmental groups can:
- brainstorm small ST additions to existing lessons,
- co-develop systems-based assessments (opportunities to do so in the GCTLC systems thinking and assessment groups),
- share what worked (and what didn’t),
- model systems thinking by exploring problems from multiple perspectives.
Many educators find that collaboration builds confidence faster than working alone.

3. Take advantage of open-access systems thinking resources

There are an increasing number of freely available systems thinking tools and resources:
- SaSTICE (Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education) resources and examples,
- Beyond Benign’s Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC),
ACS Green Chemistry Institute video and modules,
These materials reduce preparation time and offer ready-to-use classroom examples.

4. Start with familiar, comfortable topics

You don’t need to redesign your course—start by adding one systems thinking question to a topic you already teach well. For example:
- - Equilibrium,
  - gas laws,
  - Stoichiometry,
  - Kinetics
SaSTICE and ACS modules provide model lessons that show how ST can easily be embedded into traditional content without dramatic changes.

5. Try implementing one ST aspect or tool

Instead of learning everything at once, choose just one approach to pilot, such as:
- - drawing a system map of a relevant chemical system
  - identifying variables that influence the effects of a system (e.g., a global challenge)
  - having students consider human–environment interactions in a chemical system.
These small practices build familiarity and help systems thinking feel natural rather than overwhelming.

What Research says

Szozda et al (2022)

Research from this study shows that educators often initially equate systems thinking with context-based learning or real-world examples which becomes more approachable when educators understand the similarities of approaches and how systems thinking can complement current approaches.

Szozda, A. R.; Bruyere, K.; Lee, H.; Mahaffy, P. G.; Flynn, A. B. Investigating Educators’ Perspectives toward Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education from International Contexts. J. Chem. Educ. 2022, 99 (7), 2474–2483. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00138.

Delaney et al (2021), Jackson and Hurst (2021), Szozda et al (2022), & York and Orgill (2024)

Across chemistry education research, lack of familiarity is one of the most commonly reported barriers—but it can be addressed with the right supports
These studies show:

Educators’ knowledge can be supported by targeted training or seeing concrete examples.
Experience matters: once educators try systems thinking, even on a small scale, their confidence and willingness to use it grow significantly.
Peer support and collaboration are strongly linked to sustainable adoption.
Professional development improves comfort, reduces perceived barriers, and helps educators notice the unique benefits systems thinking brings to conceptual understanding and sustainability education

Delaney, S.; Ferguson, J. P.; Schultz, M. Exploring Opportunities to Incorporate Systems Thinking into Secondary and Tertiary Chemistry Education through Practitioner Perspectives. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 2021, 43 (16), 2618–2639. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1980631.

Jackson, A.; Hurst, G. A. Faculty Perspectives Regarding the Integration of Systems Thinking into Chemistry Education. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2021, 22 (4), 855–865. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1rp00078k.

York, S.; Orgill, M. Experienced Tertiary Instructors’ Perceptions of the Benefits and Challenges of Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education. J. Chem. Educ. 2024, 101 (1), 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c01000.

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