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Complexity as a Big Idea for Secondary Education: Evaluating a Complex Systems Curriculum
Author(s) -
Heinrich Sara,
Kupers Roland
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
systems research and behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 1092-7026
DOI - 10.1002/sres.2547
Subject(s) - curriculum , discipline , complexity science , big idea , engineering ethics , reflection (computer programming) , sociology , natural (archaeology) , higher education , mathematics education , pedagogy , psychology , political science , social science , computer science , management science , engineering , biology , paleontology , law , programming language
Over the past three decades, the study of complex systems has firmly established itself in the research and curricula of many universities around the world. This applies to both the natural and social sciences, and notably across disciplines. Complexity has a profound impact on the epistemology of science, and its place in education deserves reflection. The aim of our research was to explore how complexity might be introduced at a high school level and which knock‐on effects such an introduction would have. Our initial findings suggest that complexity science can be made accessible for high‐school students and that the resultant awareness can increase students' ability to engage in multi‐disciplinary learning. An understanding of complexity arguably plays a crucial part in preparing students for their university education and for their role as stakeholders in deeply interconnected 21st century challenges. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.