Complexity as a Subject and Method in International Education

Abstract

The motivating premise of this book is that in a dynamic and complex system such as education, access and quality must be considered together. From the synapses that form in the brain to the dynamics of a classroom, to large networks of schools and education systems, the activity and structure of education is defined by connectivity, interaction, and interdependence: key features of complexity and complex adaptive systems. This book uses principles from research on systems and complexity in order to better understand the Global Learning Crisis. This chapter presents a brief review of research on complexity, considering primary education as a complex adaptive system, and also describes how complexity research suggests a mixed methods approach and other methodological strategies.