In his second semester in the University of Northern Colorado's Chemical Education Ph.D. program, Navid Ahmed Sadman has already discovered his passion. He's researching the effectiveness of educating future chemists differently using a "systems thinking" approach. Systems thinking is both a philosophical and practical method that views problems holistically and considers the interconnectedness of a system's components.

It's far from the culture of rote memorization method Sadman experienced as a chemistry undergraduate in Bangladesh.

"...in systems thinking, instead of discrete components, it's looking at our whole world and how all its parts work together. The next generation of policymakers or scientists need that more complex picture."

— Navid Ahmed Sadman

"The focus was on memorizing the answers to the questions that would repeat year after year in the examination. I think that despite being taught by well-trained faculty, only the top students in my country can get the mental scope of understanding the concepts after they have memorized them. For most others, perhaps cramming before an examination is only as far as they could or would go. Don't get me wrong, students emerging from this culture are still pursuing higher studies in droves, but still, our education policymakers should critically appraise and improve the country’s education system while being aware of the current culture, students' accessibility to resources, and their financial capabilities.

"This emphasis on memorization bothered me as a student; and now, as an instructor, I see that memorization makes students question chemistry's relevance. We need to train chemistry students better at the undergraduate level. That's why I am more and more invested in the chemistry education field," he said.

He believes a systems thinking approach to teaching chemistry will amplify students' critical thinking powers and tie learning to real-world applications.

He offered the example of electric vehicles (EVs). While EVs are a promising solution to reducing carbon emissions, he noted that mining for metals like cobalt and rare earth elements, essential for EV batteries, can have significant social and environmental impacts if not properly monitored. A systems thinking approach will enable scientists to address these issues adequately, ensuring EVs' benefits are realized while mitigating negative consequences.

Such changes to chemical education would have a wide-ranging impact because different fields, e.g., pre-med, pre-nursing, health, biology and physics majors all take chemistry courses. As part of a graduate-level introduction to qualitative research course at UNC, he completed a mini-project to better understand student perceptions of systems thinking in chemistry education (STICE), which is an identified research gap. Next, he'll test the premises for incorporating STICE using a mixed-methods approach that includes quantitative and qualitative data.

"I'm also planning a systematic review of the literature on STICE. This will be a more comprehensive study, which would add depth to the growing body of literature," he said.

Sadman received feedback from his peers when he shared his early findings on this systematic review at the December 2023 Graduate Research Symposium. He believes the statistics, psychology and science education courses required for his Ph.D. will shape his understanding and development of his doctoral research project.

He's working as a research assistant this summer. For most of the year, he's a teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for Assistant Professor Corina Brown.

"I'm learning a lot from working with Dr. Brown. She's kind and personable," he said.

Brown said Sadman's enthusiasm, motivation and sincere desire to learn have made mentoring enjoyable

"Even though Navid is in the beginning stages of his doctoral studies, he's working on a cutting-edge topic. The interdisciplinary nature of the systems thinking approach could allow students to comprehend and apply chemical concepts in novel ways. His research contributes to expanding the understanding, application and assessment of systems thinking in chemical education. I think he has a promising journey ahead with the potential to make significant contributions to research and education," Brown said.

After he graduates in 2027, Sadman hopes to pursue a post-doctoral degree. Eventually, he'd like to join academia as a chemistry education researcher or work at a research institute focused on chemistry education.

"I also feel I owe it to my country to return with the knowledge I have gathered here and contribute there. Ask me again in three years about my future plans," he said.