A model for describing the systems thinking factors

Systems thinking is a concept that reflects thinking about the issue as a whole, emphasizing the interrelationships among its components rather than the components themselves. In this chapter we will present a model for describing the systems thinking factors. The model was developed as part of research aimed to assess the capacity of systems thinking among students. The research examined the contribution of the capstone project to the capacity for systems thinking. The model was examined using Frank's questionnaire for assessing the Capacity for Engineering Systems Thinking (CEST) (Frank, 2010). We evaluated CEST by addressing and measuring four aspects: cognitive characteristics, abilities, personal traits, and knowledge. The data collected in the current study was used to analyze the four above-mentioned aspects of CEST. Each aspect of engineering systems thinking has several factors. We will present these factors as expressed in the questionnaire assessing the capacity for engineering systems thinking and will discuss their contribution to the improvement of the students CEST.