From Everyday Thinking to Systems Thinking
An Asset‐Based Introduction to Dynamical Systems Theory in Middle School Science
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21392949 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hillary Swanson (0000-0001-5953-6780, Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Utah State University Logan Utah USA, corresponding author), Michael Leitch (Teacher Education and Leadership Utah State University Logan Utah USA), Sarah Schwartz (0000-0003-1657-487X, Utah State University), Sarah E Schwartz (0000-0001-9980-7493, Psychology Utah State University Logan Utah USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 110 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 911-927 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sce.70041 |
| OpenAlex | W7117552605 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 80 |
Despite its broad relevance to science and society, dynamical systems theory (DST), which mathematically models patterns of change in system behavior, is largely absent from K–12 science education. This study introduces the Patterns Game , a model‐based approach that enables middle school students to engage with DST without relying on advanced mathematics. Using a design‐based research methodology, we investigated the outcomes and processes of 8th grade students' engagement with the Patterns Game . Quantitative analysis of student work assessed the development of models of threshold and equilibration patterns. Qualitative analysis of classroom discourse explored how the game leveraged students' everyday thinking and lived experiences to support model construction. Students showed statistically significant improvements in their models. Qualitative findings revealed that reflecting on familiar examples helped students articulate, examine, and refine their intuitive reasoning, leading to more precise models. Together, these results demonstrate how the Patterns Game draws on students' existing resources to support meaningful engagement with DST. While prior research has lowered barriers to systems thinking, this study is among the first to introduce DST to younger learners. It advances equity‐oriented science education by broadening what counts as modeling and by centering students' everyday thinking and lived experiences as valuable resources for engaging with dynamic systems
Lived experience · Qualitative analysis · Qualitative research · Relevance (law) · Science education · Student engagement · Systems science · Systems thinking · Complex Systems and Decision Making · Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques · Science Education and Pedagogy
“The Coat Traps All Your Body Heat”
Design Research
Toward an Epistemology of Physics
Thinking in Levels
Misconceptions Reconceived
Developing a learning progression for scientific modeling
Conjecture Mapping
The Use of Ranks to Avoid the Assumption of Normality Implicit in the Analysis of Variance
Problem-Based Learning Meets Case-Based Reasoning in the Middle-School Science Classroom
Thinking Like a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Firefly
Rethinking diversity in learning science
The effect of using different computational system modeling approaches on applying systems thinking
Students’ systems thinking while modeling a dynamic ecological system
Teaching complexity in biology through agent-based simulations
Embodied physics
Computational models as tools for supporting responsive teaching
Place‐based learning processes in a family science workshop
Humanistic science education
Navigating the complexities of student understanding
Scientific argumentation and responsive teaching
Talk moves as pedagogical tools for eliciting and working with student ideas in an undergraduate general biology laboratory
Talking about “bioluminescence” and “puppies of the ocean”
Undergraduate biology students' model‐based reasoning in the laboratory
The effects of modeling‐based pedagogy on conceptual understanding, scientific reasoning skills, and attitudes towards science of English learners
Interlocking models in classroom science
“I think of it that way and it helps me understand”
Beyond assessing knowledge about models and modeling
Building a computational model of food webs
Changing Minds
Systematizing Decisions in Design‐Based Research
Right but wrong
Desettling Expectations in Science Education
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |