Complex Systems Approach for Interpreting Educational System Dynamics

• In Event: 66.058 - Applying Complexity Perspectives on Educational Research

Abstract

Research has shown the usefulness of complex systems modeling for revealing the nonlinear dynamics for social-technical systems. However, little work has been done to capture the dynamics of educational systems with complex systems modeling techniques. Apart from the application of agent-based-modeling to express school-level demographic segregation, few complex models have been applied to advance our understanding of educational systems, and fewer still have yielded actionable insights to advance educational system outcomes. This paper summarizes existing analysis methods and modeling techniques used in education research and evaluates these methods for researching the complexity of the educational system. Each method was characterized by its capacity for capturing the following aspects of complex systems: nonlinearity, interdependencies, feedback loops, and stochasticity.

Authors

• Lauren McBurnett, Arizona State University

• Jennifer M. Bekki, Arizona State University

• Nadia Kellam, Arizona State University