Abstract for: Algebraic Thinking in Primary School with Systems Thinking Tools

Traditional mathematics education often emphasizes procedural skills over conceptual understanding, limiting students' ability to recognize relationships and reason about systems. The Turkish National Curriculum emphasizes holistic, process-oriented learning but lacks concrete strategies for implementing systems thinking in classrooms. This action research study investigated the effect of systems thinking tools—stock-flow diagrams and behavior-over-time graphs—on third-grade students’ ability to solve scenario-based math problems. A quasi-experimental design compared two groups: one with prior exposure to systems tools and one without. In the initial stage, the experienced group outperformed the inexperienced group significantly (p = 0.000). After a short introduction to systems tools, the performance gap disappeared (p = 0.474). Group B improved significantly (p = 0.000) upon adopting the method, while Group A maintained consistent performance (p = 0.776). The findings demonstrate that systems thinking tools can enhance students’ problem-solving and algebraic reasoning skills, even with brief exposure. Integrating these tools into mathematics instruction supports curriculum goals and helps students understand relationships and dynamic processes. The study offers a scalable method for fostering systems literacy in early education.