Preservice Chemistry Teachers’ Approaches to a Systems Thinking Task in Sustainable Chemistry: Insights from a Pedagogical Model

Systems thinking (ST) is increasingly emphasized in sustainable chemistry education, yet teacher preparation for ST is still underexplored. This design-based research (DBR) case study reports the first implementation of a pedagogical model that integrates expert-informed learning with an ST task in a mandatory sustainable chemistry course for preservice teachers. The model operationalizes eight ST elements and was enacted around a real-world case (lignin in a circular-economy context). The aim of this study is to examine how students applied the system elements, what connections to sustainability they identified, and what difficulties they encountered in the task. Students (n = 8) worked in pairs to construct a systems model concept map (SMCM) and compose a written explanation; additional data included an individual preorganizing concept map, learning diaries, and a focus-group interview. Findings indicate that students identified relevant sustainability perspectives and represented aspects of systemic structure and behavior to varying degrees. Elements such as circular connections, delays, leverage points, and temporal perspectives were articulated more consistently in writing than in the maps. Recurrent challenges included difficulties in naming and directing links, visually representing circular connections, and distinguishing delays from broader temporal change. We suggest that SMCM can serve as an exploratory tool for surfacing a system’s structure, with the accompanying written explanation used to elaborate on students’ reasoning; clearer instructions on proposition-level linking, targeted scaffolds for cyclic and temporal reasoning, and structured debriefing (peer/self-assessment) are recommended. The model’s socio-technical emphasis, which foregrounds how the world shapes chemistry, offers a complementary pathway for preparing future chemistry teachers to integrate ST into sustainability contexts.