APPLICATION OF SYSTEM’S THEORY IN EDUCATION

Author: Mwangeka Richard Mwambi, Educationist Trainer

Introduction
The provision of quality university education by upholding established standards can be
examined from the general systems theory perspective. This is because the university education
production function is a system of human resources, physical resources, methods, procedures and
processes working together in a definite environment to deliver desirable outputs. Within the
system, non- conformities do occur. These non-conformities imply deviations from the set
standards or norms, therefore a problem. By locating where they occur within the system and the
causes thereof, solutions can be found. This will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the
system.
Key Words: education quality, system, inputs, outputs, process

Advancement of the Idea of General System’s Theory

The idea of general systems theory was originally advanced by Von Bertalanffy in the 1930s and
after the Second World War (Bertalanffy1972; Adams, Hester, and Bradley, 2013; Friedman and
Allen, 2014). As a practicing biologist, Bertalanffy was interested in developing the theory of
“open systems”. This means, an attempt to understand how systems exchange matter with the
environment as observed in every ‘living system’. According to Capra (as cited in Mele, Pels,
and Polese (2010), the systems theory is an interdisciplinary theory about every system in nature,
in society and in many scientific domains that provides a framework to investigate phenomena
from a holistic approach. In the case of a University, this may be the whole institution, academic
division or department.

Katz and Kahn (as cited in Mele, Pels, and Polese, 2010) applied the concept of open system to
the organization in 1966. This advanced the perception of organizations as open systems. Kast
and Rosenzweig (1972) predicted that many managers have used and will continue to use a
systems approach and contingency views instinctively and implicitly. This is in a bid to solve
problems inherent in their organizational systems. Vancouver (1996) in his extended theory of
living systems, identified organizations and societies as part of the systems and further
postulated that,
despite irregularities in the system’s environment, the systems are able to maintain their own
regularity. This suggests that, environmental disorders do not necessarily disrupt the functioning
of systems. By deduction, once standards are instituted in the university education provision
system, they can be gradually attained despite opposing forces within the system’s environment.

What is a system?
A system is composed of a whole made up of interacting parts , and therefore, systems scientists
in both the natural and social sciences study the interaction between parts to better understand the
complexities of reality (Lalande, and Baumeister 2015) Arnold and Wade (2015, p.7), further
define a systems as, “groups or combinations of interrelated, interdependent, or interacting
elements forming collective entities” . A system therefore denotes a set of parts that are
interrelated so as to function as a whole in order to achieve a common purpose. For example;
school organizations with all their institutional components that make them function as a whole
(Bozkus, 2014). All organizations are open systems in that they interact with their environment
to survive (Daft, 2010). The basic system theory of organizations is made up of five major
components: inputs, a transformation process, outputs, feedback, and the environment (Daft,
2010). In this theory, inputs encompass the material, human, financial, or information resources
required to produce goods and services of varied quantities and qualities. The transformation
process involves the application of production technology by management to change the inputs
into outputs. The outputs are the tangible products and services of the organization that possess a
market value or user utility.

Use of System’s Theory in Education

The systems theory is analogous to education production function. According to John (2010),
education has a high-priority function in the production of human resources, and that the
production function is a relationship between the amount of input and intervening factors to
produce a certain good, with consideration to its quality. An education production function
therefore represents a functional relationship between school and students inputs to an associated
measure of school outputs. To ensure the production function adequately addresses the demands
of society, education policy makers and managers must determine clear and precise objectives;
and select the inputs and strategies that will be transformed through the productive process into
a qualified product; possessing certain competences in form of skills, abilities, and knowledge
that
 can be transferred to the productive sector of the economy with efficiency and effectiveness
(John,2010). Cory and Betts (2007) on their study on the role of teacher quality in education in
the education production function established that, variation in teacher quality is an important
contributor to student achievement.

References

Adams, K.M., Hester, P.T., and Bradley. (2013). A historical perspective of systems theory.
Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288782223

Arnold, R.D., and Wade, J.P. (2015). A definition of systems thinking: Systems approach.
Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273894661

Bertalanffy, L.V. (1972). The history and status of general systems theory. Retrieved from:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b442/03ec8d6cb7acd4238c67651192b48bce862e.pdf

Bozkus, K. (2014). School as a social system. Retrieved from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266082312

Cory, K. and Betts, J. (2007). Re-examining the role of teacher quality in the educational
production function. Retrieved from: https://ideas.repec.org/p/umc/wpaper/0708.html

Daft, R. (2010). Management. 9th ed. Mason, OH 45040, USA: South-Western Cengage
Learning.

Friedman, B.D., and Allen, K.N. (2014). Systems Theory. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bruce_Friedman3/publication/266615989

John, R. (2010). The economy and the function of production in education. Retrieved from:
http://www.scielo.org.ar/pdf/vf/v13n1/v13n1a06.pdf

Kast, F.E., and Rosenzweig, J.E. (1972). General systems theory: Applications for organization
and management. Retrieved from:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c819/696acb2de159eb1edb75a3287b427fd96477.pdf

Lalande, D. and Baumeister, R. (2015). Systems theories. Retrieved from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281821382

Mele, C., Pels, J., and Polese, F. (2010). A brief review of systems theories and their managerial
applications. Retrieved from: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/serv.2.1_2.126
Vancouver, J.B. (1996). Living systems theory as a paradigm for organizational behavior:
Understanding, humans, organizations and social processes. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jeffrey_Vancouver/publication/14348397
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