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Article

Towards an Integrated Educational Practice: Application of Systems Thinking in STEM Disciplines

by
Selene Castañeda-Burciaga
1,2,*,
Omar Alejandro Guirette-Barbosa
1,2,*,
Martha Angélica Ramírez-Salazar
1,2,
José María Celaya-Padilla
2,
Claudia Guadalupe Lara Torres
1,
Hector Durán Muñoz
3,*,
Oscar Cruz-Domínguez
1,
María Hosanna Iraís Correa Aguado
3,
José de Jesús Reyes-Sánchez
4,
José de Jesús Velázquez-Macías
1 and
Martín de Jesús Cardoso Pérez
3
1
Department of Industrial Engineering, Universidad Politecnica de Zacatecas, Plan de Pardillo Sn, Parque Industrial, Fresnillo 99059, Zacatecas, Mexico
2
Postgraduate Department, Universidad Autonoma de Fresnillo, Carretera Federal Panamericana, Lindavista, Ejidal 4, Fresnillo 99039, Zacatecas, Mexico
3
Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Alameda Garcia Cadena 414, Zacatecas 98000, Zacatecas, Mexico
4
Administration Department, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Fresnillo, Av. Tecnológico, 2000, Col Solidaridad, Fresnillo 99040, Zacatecas, Mexico
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Systems 2026, 14(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010097
Submission received: 17 October 2025 / Revised: 11 January 2026 / Accepted: 15 January 2026 / Published: 16 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Thinking in STEM Education: Pedagogies and Applications)
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Abstract

Systems thinking is not a static concept, but rather a dynamic and evolving paradigm that continually adapts to the challenges of its time, becoming more refined and applicable in different areas, such as education. The main objective of the study is to identify the relationship between academic performance and the pedagogical strategies used to promote systems thinking in undergraduate and graduate students in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The method used is quantitative research with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. For data collection, a 25-item Likert scale called “STEM Pedagogical Strategies” was used, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of α = 0.985. The instrument measures students’ perceptions of the application of five key strategies: problem-based learning, thinking routines, system maps and visual diagrams, design thinking, and system dynamics. The sample consisted of 350 undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields. The main results show that there is a significant correlation between students’ academic performance and the pedagogical strategies of thinking routines and design thinking. Likewise, the skills developed through systems thinking, as shown in the available literature, would be the basis for fostering collaboration, complex problem solving, and students’ ability to become “systems”.
Keywords: academic performance; pedagogical strategies; STEM; students; systems thinking academic performance; pedagogical strategies; STEM; students; systems thinking

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Castañeda-Burciaga, S.; Guirette-Barbosa, O.A.; Ramírez-Salazar, M.A.; Celaya-Padilla, J.M.; Lara Torres, C.G.; Durán Muñoz, H.; Cruz-Domínguez, O.; Correa Aguado, M.H.I.; Reyes-Sánchez, J.d.J.; Velázquez-Macías, J.d.J.; et al. Towards an Integrated Educational Practice: Application of Systems Thinking in STEM Disciplines. Systems 2026, 14, 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010097

AMA Style

Castañeda-Burciaga S, Guirette-Barbosa OA, Ramírez-Salazar MA, Celaya-Padilla JM, Lara Torres CG, Durán Muñoz H, Cruz-Domínguez O, Correa Aguado MHI, Reyes-Sánchez JdJ, Velázquez-Macías JdJ, et al. Towards an Integrated Educational Practice: Application of Systems Thinking in STEM Disciplines. Systems. 2026; 14(1):97. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010097

Chicago/Turabian Style

Castañeda-Burciaga, Selene, Omar Alejandro Guirette-Barbosa, Martha Angélica Ramírez-Salazar, José María Celaya-Padilla, Claudia Guadalupe Lara Torres, Hector Durán Muñoz, Oscar Cruz-Domínguez, María Hosanna Iraís Correa Aguado, José de Jesús Reyes-Sánchez, José de Jesús Velázquez-Macías, and et al. 2026. "Towards an Integrated Educational Practice: Application of Systems Thinking in STEM Disciplines" Systems 14, no. 1: 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010097

APA Style

Castañeda-Burciaga, S., Guirette-Barbosa, O. A., Ramírez-Salazar, M. A., Celaya-Padilla, J. M., Lara Torres, C. G., Durán Muñoz, H., Cruz-Domínguez, O., Correa Aguado, M. H. I., Reyes-Sánchez, J. d. J., Velázquez-Macías, J. d. J., & Cardoso Pérez, M. d. J. (2026). Towards an Integrated Educational Practice: Application of Systems Thinking in STEM Disciplines. Systems, 14(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010097

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