Thoughts on Using Systems Thinking to Develop Chemistry Students’ Professional Skills
Document Type
Book Section
Publication Date
12-8-2020
Publication Title
Integrating Professional Skills into Undergraduate Chemistry Curricula
Publisher
American Chemical Society
First page number:
81
Last page number:
102
Abstract
Research suggests that while most chemistry students are well equipped with content knowledge when they graduate, they often lack the professional skills they will need to succeed in their future careers. Thus, a current priority in chemistry education is to identify and implement educational strategies and approaches that will help students develop professional skills before they enter the workforce. Systems thinking has received attention as an approach that can foster meaningful learning of chemistry content and prepare students to understand and address complex, real-world challenges such as sustainability and climate change. Here, we propose that a systems thinking approach might also support the development of students’ professional skills. In this chapter, we provide a brief discussion of systems thinking and discuss professional skills and attitudes that directly correlate with, complement, or may indirectly result from students’ engagement in systems thinking. We argue that systems thinking is particularly well-suited to build valuable professional skills such as problem solving, teamwork, and communication.
Keywords
Chemistry education; Students; Mathematical methods; Climate change
Disciplines
Education | Science and Mathematics Education
Language
English
Repository Citation
York, S.,
Fowler, W. C.,
Orgill, M.
(2020).
Thoughts on Using Systems Thinking to Develop Chemistry Students’ Professional Skills.
Integrating Professional Skills into Undergraduate Chemistry Curricula
81-102.
American Chemical Society.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bk-2020-1365.ch006