Problems When Schools Use the Top-Down, Closed Systems Model

Teachers exist in a school context which exists within a systems context. A system is an interacting and interdependent set of elements working together to form a unified whole. To fully understand the obstacles teachers face and why some are leaving education, one must first understand the system in which they exist. Arthur Combs (1999) described two common types of systems used in organizations: top-down closed systems and person-centered open systems. This podcast describes the top-down closed system.