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This paper presents the development of an instrument for the assessment of system competence in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Based on an already existing, more complex model of system competence for the school subject geography, we have developed a test that refers to central themes and principles of ESD using exclusively closed answer formats. Building on the results of cognitive laboratories and expert feedback from various fields, the instrument was (further) developed in an iterative process of feedback and revision. We conducted a quantitative pilot study with N = 366 8th and 9th grade students. The results indicate that the development of our system competence test was successful-the overall test yielded a high reliability and only very few items were not working as intended. Furthermore, the difficulties of the items were appropriate for the ability levels of the students and the results of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggest that the newly developed test measures system competence with one dimension. As the test is compact, easy to interpret, and yet reliable, it is particularly suitable for monitoring purposes in the field of ESD. (DIPF/Orig.)

This paper presents the development of an instrument for the assessment of system competence in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Based on an already existing, more complex model of system competence for the school subject geography, [the authors] have developed a test that refers to central themes and principles of ESD using exclusively closed answer formats. Building on the results of cognitive laboratories and expert feedback from various fields, the instrument was (further) developed in an iterative process of feedback and revision. [The authors] conducted a quantitative pilot study with N = 366 8th and 9th grade students. The results indicate that the development of our system competence test was successful - the overall test yielded a high reliability and only very few items were not working as intended. Furthermore, the difficulties of the items were appropriate for the ability levels of the students and the results of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggest that the newly developed test measures system competence with one dimension. As the test is compact, easy to interpret, and yet reliable, it is particularly suitable for monitoring purposes in the field of ESD. (Orig.).

Research has shown a fragmented understanding of climate change among students that hardly accounts for the dynamic interrelations in the climate system and may pose a barrier in understanding adaptation and mitigation strategies (Shepardson et al., 2017, 2011, Calmbach 2016). While much is known the impact of short-term interventions on the general system understanding of students, what is lacking to date is 1) a specific intervention on climate system understanding and 2) insights into the process of developing system understanding in students. Helpful insights in this context come from Conceptual Development theories for they allow the development of systemic thinking to be viewed in terms of conceptual expansion or conceptual change. Starting from these desiderates, a teaching-learning sequence was developed based on the SYSDENE model of system competence (Frischknecht et al. 2008). In the sequence young learners systematically link experiences from formal science education with the experiences at three non-formal learning environments. A mixed-methods approach was used to explore the impact of this 3-month sequence on 19 7th grade students. A written pre-/post-test suggested a significant improvement in Climate System Reconstruction for the group (pre-test Median = 6.75 vs. post-test Median = 12.5, Wilcoxon Test: p = .003, r = .82). However, a qualitative analysis of classroom conversations, interviews and concept maps indicated that cognitive development toward a higher level of system thinking was neither continuous nor did every student reach it. Moreover, the SYSDENE model's Competence Area \"Describe System Model\" proves critical. Being able to describe the main climate system factors is not sufficient, one also needs to be able to distinct weather from climate and grasp several scientific concepts related to the climate (e.g. greenhouse effect, water cycle, evaporation, reflection) in order to understand climate as a system. (DIPF/Orig.) Der Beitrag ist Teil einer größeren Studie zur Entwicklung von Systemdenken in Bezug auf das Klima bei Gesamtschüler:innen der Jahrgangsstufe 7. Wie die Forschung zeigt, weisen Schüler:innen ein fragmentiertes Verständnis des Klimawandels auf, das dynamische Zusammenhänge im Klimasystem kaum berücksichtigt und insofern ein Hindernis für das Verständnis von Anpassungs- und Minderungsstrategien darstellt (Shepardson et al., 2017, 2011, Calmbach 2016). Davon ausgehend wurde eine auf dem SYSDENE-Modell der Systemkompetenz basierende Lehr-Lern-Sequenz zum Klimasystem entwickelt (Frischknecht et al. 2008). In der Sequenz verknüpfen junge Lernende systematisch Erfahrungen aus dem formalen naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht mit den Erfahrungen in drei non-formalen Lernumgebungen. Mit einem Mixed-Method-Ansatz wurden die Auswirkungen dieser dreimonatigen Sequenz auf 19 Schülerinnen und Schüler der siebten Klasse untersucht. Ein schriftlicher Prä-/Posttest deutete auf eine signifikante Verbesserung in der Rekonstruktion von Klima als komplexes System hin (Median Prä = 6,75, Median Post = 12,5, Wilcoxon-Test: p = .003, r = .82). Eine qualitative Analyse der Klassengespräche, Interviews und Concept Maps zeigte jedoch, dass die kognitive Entwicklung hin zu einer höheren Ebene des Systemischen Denkens weder kontinuierlich verlief, noch von allen Schülern realisiert werden konnte. Darüber hinaus erweist sich der grundlegende Kompetenzbereich \"Modell Beschreiben\" des SYSDENE-Modells als kritisch. Es genügt hierbei nicht, die wichtigsten Faktoren des Klimasystems beschreiben zu können, Lernende müssen auch in der Lage sein, Wetter und Klima voneinander zu unterscheiden und verschiedene wissenschaftliche Konzepte im Zusammenhang mit dem Klima (z. B. Treibhauseffekt, Wasserkreislauf, Verdunstung, Reflexion) zu verstehen und anzuwenden. (Autorin)