SHARE Applied Education System Diagnostic How-To-Guide_UND_2025.pdf

Systems thinking provides a powerful framework for understanding the complexity inherent in education systems. Unlike simpler or more technical issue-areas, where cause and effect relationships are straightforward, education systems involve a multitude of interconnected elements—including policies, culture and gender norms, school administration, family life, teaching practices, infrastructure, and student outcomes—that interact in complex and often unpredictable ways. This complexity necessitates a holistic approach to diagnostics, one that considers the unique challenges and dynamics of educational environments.

The system diagnostic methodology focuses on a core workshop-based approach with relevant system actors, supplemented, as needed, by additional research. In the workshops, information on the system is visualized and analyzed to uncover root causes of the development challenge. The process aims to reveal not just “one truth” but rather different perspectives to paint the most accurate picture of the system as seen by various actors (“many truths”) who navigate the intricacies of their local education system on a daily basis. The findings can then be utilized to identify leverage points for positive change.