Cultivating systems thinking through visible thinking routines: Pedagogical and leadership insights from an exploratory classroom study

This study explores how systems thinking–oriented thinking routines can be integrated into middle school social studies instruction and how such practices are experienced by students and teachers. Framed as an exploratory, classroom-based inquiry, the study examines the implementation of visible thinking routines designed to support students’ engagement with complex and interconnected social phenomena. The study was conducted over an eight-week period with fifth-grade students in a public middle school. Data were collected through a combination of pre- and post-intervention descriptive performance measures, student written reflections, and a semi-structured teacher interview, reflecting an exploratory mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, while qualitative data were examined using thematic analysis to capture patterns in cognitive engagement, affective responses, and instructional processes. The findings suggest that thinking routines supported students in organizing their ideas, recognizing relationships among system elements, and reflecting on their own reasoning processes. Students also reported positive affective experiences, including increased engagement and enjoyment, particularly as they became more familiar with open-ended and dialogic learning activities. From the teacher’s perspective, the routines facilitated deeper student explanations and supported instructional coherence, while also presenting challenges related to time management and instructional balance. Rather than advancing causal claims, the study offers context-sensitive insights into how systems thinking–oriented pedagogy can be enacted within everyday classroom practice. The findings highlight the pedagogical and leadership relevance of thinking routines as tools that support reflective, relational, and sustainability-oriented ways of thinking. By foregrounding the philosophical and normative dimensions of pedagogical design, the study contributes to ongoing discussions on how education can cultivate forms of thinking necessary for engaging responsibly with complexity in contemporary educational systems.