Systems thinking among students in sustainability programs
This study explores how to assess systems thinking (ST) competencies among students enrolled in sustainability-related higher education programs, with a focus on both cognitive and affective dimensions. Building on recent discussions in sustainability pedagogy, we evaluate the applicability of two existing questionnaires-Davis & Stroink (2016) and Camelia & Ferris (2018)-in interdisciplinary, non-STEM settings. Data from 65 master's students at the University of Bergen, Norway, were analyzed. Results indicate that while both instruments are usable, the affective subscales demonstrate lower reliability, which constrains their validity. Findings suggest that gender and age may be associated with certain ST dimensions, while disciplinary background is not. We argue that assessing ST before or early in courses can support curriculum design and counteract instructor assumptions about student competencies. This study provides practical insights for educators and contributes to ongoing efforts to refine assessment tools in sustainability education.
weitere Infos
Kordts, R., Kopainsky, B. & Siegel, S. T. (2026). Systems thinking among students in sustainability programs. die hochschullehre, Jahrgang 12/2026. DOI: 10.3278/HSL2626W.
Bibliografische Angaben
- Reihe: die hochschullehre
- Band: 12
- Auflage: 1
- Erscheinungsdatum: 19.07.2026
- Umfang: 16 Seiten
- Artikelnr: HSL2626W
- DOI (E-Paper): 10.3278/HSL2626W
- Imprint: wbv Publikation
- Sprache: Deutsch
- Lizenzhinweis:
- Autor(en): Robert Kordts, Birgit Kopainsky, Stefan T. Siegel