Systems thinking and practice : a review and analysis of key ideas and their implications for practice in design & technology education

This paper provides an historical overview of the development of systems thinking as an analytical tool in a wide range of disciplines. The types of systems diagram that have been developed to support systems thinking are summarised and grouped. Against this background the development of systems thinking within D&T education is described and the systems content of a range of current D&T texts is analysed. The paper concludes both that the penetration of systems thinking into D&T education has been weaker than in many other disciplines and that current texts are providing limited support for pupils’ development of systems thinking.