Beyond Targeted Interventions: A Systems-Thinking Approach to Educational Improvement Rethinking African Educational Reform through Networked Learning Systems

Addressing the persistent failure of fragmented educational initiatives in Africa, this paper proposes a fundamental shift toward a systems-thinking paradigm. It critiques traditional "targeted interventions" and advocates for the creation of Network Improvement Communities (NICs) managed by central "hub" organizations. By integrating Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs) and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, the framework provides a scalable, bottom-up model designed to solve both innovation and adaptive implementation problems across the continent.