Educational Systems Theory

Property: Integration

Definition:

"Educational system integration is (maintenance of) wholeness under system environmental change." (p. 58)

Comments:

When determining integration it is important to remember that wholeness must be maintained between two time periods during system environmental change.

Illustration:

Examples:

Example 1 - An example of integration takes place in a classroom with a teacher and several students. The teacher incorporates each student into the classroom activities while the affect relation "guides the learning of another" is taking place. This is at time 1, and the teacher has a channel to each student, and thus represents wholeness. At time 2, several new students move into the area and come into the classroom. Each new student is incorporated into the classroom activities. The teacher maintains channels to each student, and thus maintains wholeness. A graphic representation of time 1 and time 2 might look something like Figure 1. S1 represents the teacher, S2, S3, and S4 represent the students at time 1, and S5 and S6 represent the new students at time 2.

Example 2 - Another example of integration takes place in a classroom with a teacher and several students. The teacher incorporates each student into the classroom activities while the affect relation "guides the learning of another" is taking place. This is at time 1, and the teacher has a channel to each student, and thus represents wholeness. At time 2, a computer is brought into the classroom. The computer is used by the teacher to help "guide the learning of another." The teacher develops a channel to the computer while maintaining channels to each student, and thus maintaining wholeness. A graphic representation of time 1 and time 2 might look like Figure 2. S1 represents the teacher, S2, S3, and S4 represent the students, and S5 represents the computer.

Related Terms:

independence

passive dependence

active dependence

segregation

interdependence

wholeness

hierarchical order

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Hypotheses Containing the Property: Integration

70. If educational system wholeness increases and hierarchical order is constant, then integration increases.

98. If educational system storeput increases and (filtration decreases or spillage decreases), then integration increases.

176. If educational system state steadiness is less than some value, then segregation is less than some value and integration is less than some value and homeostasis is less than some value.

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