Interplay between Conceptual Knowledge and Systems Thinking Skills: Undergraduate Biology Students Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Ecosystems

Abstract

Systems thinking skills complemented with domain-specific conceptual knowledge are necessary to mitigate the ecological crisis caused by climate change. This cross-sectional study adapts the biology systems-thinking (BST) framework to evaluate systems thinking skills and their potential associations with knowledge related to core concepts in biology. This study is among the first to apply the BST framework while using a scenario-based case focused on the effects of climate change on boreal forest ecosystems. Forty-two 2nd-year biology undergraduate students with no specific training on systems thinking participated. They read the scenario and answered an open-ended task designed to require both application of prior knowledge and systems thinking skills. Responses were analyzed through the protocol of deductive qualitative content analysis to reveal differences in systems thinking skills and the extent of conceptual knowledge. Results highlight the potential role of conceptual knowledge in supporting systems thinking. Particularly, the quality of knowledge about evolutionary processes was higher among the students who exhibited reasoning across systems, the highest skill level in the BST framework. By integrating systems thinking into domain-specific curricula, educators can enhance students’ ability to address complex ecological challenges. Scenario-based tasks seem effective in revealing differences in systems thinking skills. Educational implications are discussed, specifically highlighting the need for instructional strategies that foster robust conceptual understanding of evolutionary processes as a key component of advanced systems thinking.