The Ecological Systems Theory

In this step we introduce a theory called Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. This is a theory we can use to think about the wider contexts that influence learning.

The Ecological Systems Theory was developed by a psychologist, Urie Bronfenbrenner, in the 1970s. Bronfenbrenner identifies five systems around children and young people’s lives which influence each other in complex ways.

The systems are:

• the micro system;
• the meso system;
• the exo system;
• the macro system; and
• the chrono system.

More recently, the model was adapted by other scholars to introduce a further system called the techno subsystem, which focuses on how technology might shape children and young people’s learning and development. We will consider the relevance of these different systems to teaching and learning.

The theory helps us consider how these different systems impact on children and young people’s wellbeing and development, as well as on their ability and opportunities to learn and prosper.

Bronfenbrenner later introduced an updated version of the model called the Bioecological Model of development. However, the core theory remained the same. In the Downloads section at the bottom of this step, you can find the following two papers:

• A paper containing an introduction to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory.
• A discussion of the key concepts in the theory, for those who want to understand it in greater detail.

Read the introductory paper to familiarise yourself with the theory. Then look at the interactive diagram with all six systems, which explains the model further through the use of relevant examples. If you are looking at the diagram online, you can interact with it by moving your mouse over it and clicking on the hotspots. There is also a static version of this diagram above and in the downloads section.

Microsystem

A teacher’s relationship with a child is a clear example of what is happening at the microsystem level. If, for example, a new child arrives in class who has recently been displaced by conflict, building a relationship of trust with the child and helping them to feel safe and welcome will be fundamental to helping them learn in the classroom.

Mesosystem

The mesosystem is where different elements of the child’s microsystem (the child’s relationships with parents and their home life, and the child’s relationships with the teacher and their school life) interact with each other. Continuing our example: after several weeks, the teacher feels that the child is still struggling to adapt to the school and the learning environment. The teacher goes to the child’s home to talk to parents and to understand better what might be happening in the child’s life and how they might help the child to settle in school.

Exosystem

The exosystem is about wider educational policies and services which indirectly affect the child. Continuing our example: the teacher discovers through talking to the parents that one of the things upsetting the child is that there is no place at the school for his younger sister to attend. They are very close, and so every day he is missing his sister. The teacher approaches the head teacher of the school and the education authority to find out when a space might become available for the sister, and to make a case that there are many other children unable to attend school. The teacher provides evidence that an expansion of school places for displaced children is necessary. This example shows what is happening at the exosystem, because, in order to make a change or try to make a difference, the teacher has to think about a system higher than the microsystem or the mesosystem.

Macrosystem

The macrosystem is about customs and cultural beliefs of the family and their wider community. Continuing our example: after trying to find out when a place will be available for the boy’s sister, the teacher visits the parents again to talk about the possibility of her attending school. The teacher learns that the parents believe that the girl should not go to school. They believe that making sure boys go to school is the most important thing. This is a bigger issue than what is happening in the children’s immediate lives. It is unlikely that the teacher can make any direct difference in this situation. However, the teacher decides to discuss with the head teacher how these matters affecting girls’ education might be sensitively discussed in school. A group of teachers volunteer to find ways to discuss these topics within the curriculum.

Chronosystem

The Chronosystem refers to how people experience things over their lifetime. It includes big life changes such as being displaced from one place to another; and other more usual events such as marriage (and divorce) and the birth of a baby, etc. The boy in the examples above has experienced many changes over the past two years. He and his family have experienced war and have been displaced to a temporary camp. They have lost family members and now the parents are thinking about moving to another country to find a safe and more secure place to live. The teacher finds out as much as possible about these changes so that they best understand how to support the child at this time in his life.

Techno subsystem

The techno subsystem is about how technology might shape young people’s learning and development. Continuing our example: the head teacher ensures that all teachers have several hours of access to the internet each week. This enables them to find new teaching and learning resources and ideas to support their teaching. Teachers are encouraged to understand what access children and young people have to the internet via phones, home computers or other means. This enables teachers to tailor support to children and young people with less digital access, helping to both familiarise these children with the internet and address the digital divide within the classroom.

Over to you

• Can you think of situations from your own experience, similar to the examples given above?
• Do you have any questions about Bronfenbrenner’s theory?