Why systems thinking is important for the education sector

This report focuses on systems thinking and its place in education transformation. It reflects on key published literature and on specific outputs from Education Development Trust's programme of research which has placed emphasis on system reform over the past five years. An analysis of examples of systems thinking linked to education reform leads to identify six accelerators for reform at scale: 1) Vision and leadership at all levels; 2) Teacher and school leadership capacity; 3) Data for accountability and improvement; 4) Delivery architecture including school collaboration; 5) Evidence-informed policy and learning; 6) Coalitions for change. The report concludes with a reflection on five policy tensions that suggest a need to: 1) Keep a balanced focus on how to use systems thinking to address simultaneously the two ‘wicked problems’ of equitable access and quality learning; 2) To work across organisational boundaries in a joined-up way, reforming education systems to improve outcomes for all children whilst also considering the wider systemic influences so reform is not undermined; 3) Balance the desire to be evidence-informed with the reality that operating in a political, economic, social and cultural context will make this hard to do; 4) Pay equal attention to a) the change management programme and accompanying capacity development approach needed to implement a reform and b) designing the reform itself; 5) Carefully balance what the system can achieve with personal and collective responsibility for decisions that can (negatively or positively) impact the functioning of the system.