Assessing Systems Thinking in Geography

On the grounds that geography is a system science, systems thinking or system competence is considered a fundamental concept of the school subject in the German Educational Standards in Geography. Accordingly, the Earth is understood as the biggest possible system consisting of a countless number of (geographical) complex, dynamic sub-systems. In contrast to non-systems thinking, a systems thinker takes superordinate principles of systems into account in the cognitive analysis and mental representation of geographical phenomena. This principle-led perspective provides deeper understanding of the internal and external interplay and complexity of systems, which may prevent human interference in such systems having unpredictable and unwanted adverse effects. In order to know what dimensions the construct ‘systems thinking’ consists of and which proficiency levels students can reach, there is a need for corresponding theoretical and empirical foundations and an assessment instrument for diagnosing, for example, whether certain interventions effectively promote systems thinking or not. This chapter primarily explains how a normative theoretically derived structure and stage model of geographic system competence was empirically validated. Finally, three item response models are evaluated, of which a two-dimensional model with the dimensions ‘System organization and System behavior’ and ‘System-adequate intention to act’ showed the best fit according to quality criteria. This provides a valid and reliable assessment tool for future diagnosing and promoting geographical system competence.