Systems Design for Change in Education and Training

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce current research and theory on systems design for change, or systemic change, in the fields of education and training. Systems design is the process for determining what characteristics a new system should have, resulting in a model of the new system and a plan for creating it. Systemic change is the process of changing a system from one paradigm to another by applying systems thinking and systems theory. Repeated calls for massive reform of current educational and training practices have consistently been published over the last several decades. This has resulted in an increasing recognition of the need for systemic change in education as numerous structured, piecemeal approaches to education reform have been implemented and failed to significantly improve the state of education. This chapter first presents a description of design theory and systems theory as the foundations for systems design. Design theory is the concepts and principles that help to develop strategies and methods for designing. The term system has been defined in various ways by different researchers, but the core concept is one of relationships among components comprising the whole.