This document discusses education as a social system. It defines a social system as a group of interrelated elements and activities that interact to form a single social entity. Education is part of the larger social system of society. Understanding how education fits within and interacts with the other elements of a social system is important for understanding how education works. Key elements that make up a school as a social system include its structure, individuals, culture, politics, core teaching and learning processes, environment, outputs, feedback, and effectiveness.

1. EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL SYSTEM
Education is a system within a larger system—the social system. To become a systems
thinker, it is therefore necessary to dissect the anatomy of your society and explore
how its different elements become parts of a social system. This chapter explains both
how education is a part of a social system and why it is important to understand the
interactive elements within a social system in order to understand how education
works.
S O, W H A T I S “S O C I A L S Y S T E M” ?
 A social organization
 A group of elements and activities that interact and constitutes a single social
entity
 It is a model or organization that possess creativity beyond its component’s
parts; it is distinguished from its environment by clearly defined boundary
 Composed of subunits, elements and subsystem that are interrelated within
relatively stable patterns of social orders.
W H A T D O E S “S O C I A L S Y S T E M “ R E F E R S D O?
 Refer to activities and interaction of groups consisting of members brought
together for a common purpose
 Classroom is a good example of social system
√ ethnos
√ norms
√ values
√ psychological aspect
BASIC ASSUMPTION FOR SOCIAL SYSTEM MODELS
ASSUMPTION- A fact / statement that Is taken for granted.

2. 1. Social system is open system.
2. Social system consists of interdependent parts, characteristics, and activities
that contribute to an receive from a whole.
3. Social systems are peopled.
4. Social system is goal oriented
5. Social system is structural
6. Social system is normative
7. Social system is sanction bearing
8. Social system is political
9. Social system has distinctive cultures
10.Social system is conceptual and relative
11. All formal organizations are social system. But all social systems are not formal
organization
K E Y E L E M E N T S OF THE SCHOOL AS A
S O C I A L S Y S T E M
School are social systems with the following key parts:
STRUCTURE- Roles and expectation of position that are arrange in a hierarchy

3. INDIVIDUAL- the individual is a key unit in any social system; regardless of position,
people bring them individual needs, beliefs and a cognitive understanding of a job.
CULTURE- represent the unwritten feeling part of the organization; it shared value
POLITICS- informal power relation that develop spontaneously
CORE – the teaching learning process is the technical core of the school
ENVIRONMENT- everything outside the organization; source of inputs
OUTPUT- The product of organizations eg. educated students
FEEDBACK-communication that monitors behavior
EFFECTIVENESS- the congruence between expected and actual outcomes