Matthijs Koopmans
- Professor, Educational Leadership
- School of Education
- MeH SE 25E
- mkoopmans@mercy.edu
- (914) 674-7485
Dr. Matthijs Koopmans, professor of educational leadership, joined the faculty at Mercy College in 2011. Previously, he worked for several educational research organizations, including the Strategic Education Research Partnership Institute, Academy for Educational Development and Metis Associates. He has taught at several colleges in the greater New York metropolitan region (Hofstra University, York College/City University of New York, Adelphi University and Yeshiva University). As an independent contractor, he has conducted evaluations for MGT of America, Institute for Student Achievement, National Urban Technology Center and Newark Public Schools. He published his research in numerous peer-reviewed journals and continues to present his work at national and international scholarly conferences. He is a founding editor of the International Journal of Complexity in Education and serves on the editorial board of Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences. He earned his Doctorate in 1988 from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
CV: https://mkoopmans.wixsite.com/mkoopmans-vitae
Ed. D. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education, 1988. Human Development.
Ed. M. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education, 1984. Non-specialized.
Drs. RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT, Utrecht, Netherlands. Institute of Pedagogical and Andragological Sciences, 1983. Clinical Pedagogy.
Kand. RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT, Utrecht, Netherlands. Institute of Pedagogical and Andragological Sciences, 1979. B. A. in Pedagogy.
Growing Points for a Synthesis Between the Sciences of Learning, School Reform, and Inequity: Insights from Complex Dynamical Systems Theory. Manuscript preparation.
The purpose of this paper will be to provide an overview of the basics of complexity theory, and discuss the applicability of that framework to the field of education, broadly defined. We focus on three areas in which the theory has been particularly effective: 1. Facilitating learning and development, 2. Educational reform; and 3. The socioeconomic and sociocultural underpinnings of inequity. We then identify the growing points for a synthesis between these three areas of knowledge based on complexity theory.
The Estimation of Fractal Dimensions in Time Series Simulations and Residuals. Data Analysis.
Fractals are self-similar forms, and they are interesting because they are so striking. In times series data, fractals are often seen as suggesting complex adaptive behavior in the system being measured, and therefore, many statistical techniques are available to estimate those patterns in time series data. How well can these approaches differentiate fractal patterns from other ones, such as white noise, seasonal cycles, and short-range correlations? How much consistency there is across techniques in the fractal estimates they produce? This analysis seeks to answer those questions. It works with eight data scenarios, with 100 realizations generated by each, and it focuses specifically on a statistical program called Fractal Dimensions. This project is an addendum to previously published research focusing on other fractal estimation techniques, and it uses the same simulation data and the same analytical approach.
Beyond the Butterfly Effect: Testing for Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions in Time Series Data. Replication Study.
More than 25 years ago, a study was published concerning regular and chaotic patterns in the daily recordings of births to teens in the state of Texas over multiple decades. The study concluded that both types of patterns were round in these data, challenging conventional wisdom about the regularity of teen birth occurrence. This replication study seeks to confirm this conclusion using newly developed statistical estimation techniques.
Leadership and Change in Complex Adaptive Educational Systems: Challenges and Opportunities. Literature Review.
Few educational leaders would dispute that education is a complex affair, with multiple systemic structures and facets, as well as nonlinear and unpredictable transformations. Yet the application of complexity theory in the educational leadership has been going in fits and starts thus far, without rigorous empirical research, or theory building, nor any coherent efforts to come to a more definitive statement about how complexity applies to the field. This project seeks to address this situation by developing an internally consistent terminological framework for complexity in educational leadership, policy making, and educational reform.
Radical novelty and self-transcending constructions in the education system: Creating equity and sustainable schooling. Essay review.
Review of Neitzel's (2020) Achieving equity and justice in education through the work of systems change, and Snyder & Snyder's (2020) Systems thinking for sustainable schooling.
The review will include a broader discussion on the value of complexity theory, and related concepts to address challenges in the education field.
I teach graduate students in the program of Educational Administration and Supervision at the School of Education. My regular teaching schedule includes the following courses:
- EDSA 510: Using Data for Instruction and Educational Policy
- EDSA 520: Curriculum and Learning: Theories into Practice
- EDSA 551: Organizational Dynamics and Culture of School Systems
- EDSA 597: Governance and Policy Issues for School District Leaders
- EDUC 611: Topics in Education: Thesis Seminar
- EDUC 500: Educational Foundations from Diverse Perspectives
In the educational leadership courses, my teaching focuses on the use of data for the improvement of organizations such as schools and school districts, organizational development, and educational reform. I spent many years doing consulting work for schools and districts across the nation and assisted educational and youth development organizations with strategic planning activities. In my courses, I share what I learned in these settings, and discuss the latest thinking about how to support effective instructional leadership in the schools to create better opportunities for learning for all students in the United States and elsewhere.
The Educational Foundations course was recently added to my teaching roster. This course provides an overview of the conceptual foundations of the educational enterprise, and we discuss why they matter.
Koopmans, M. (2023). Roughness as a fractal property in univariate time series data. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, 27(2), 149-168.
Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2022). Complex systems and education: From theory to research to practice. Proceedings of the satellite of the conference on complex systems 2021. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 3(2), 1-5.
Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2021). Breaking new ground in complexity and education. Proceedings of the fifth satellite symposium on complex systems and education: Research and practice. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 2(2), 1-4.
Koopmans, M. (2021). On the distinction between fractal and seasonal dependencies in time series data. Fractals, 29(7), Article No. 2150180. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218348X21501802
Stamovlasis, D., & Koopmans, M. (2021). Complexity in education: The new era is growing – Editorial. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 2(1), 1-2.
Koopmans, M. (2021). Using time series to analyze long-range fractal patterns (Sage University Papers on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, Vol. 185). Sage.
Koopmans, M. (2020). Problem formation and problem resolution in American schools. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 1(2), 165-183.
Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2020). Complexity in education: A new era begins – Editorial. International Journal of Complexity in Education, 1(1), 1-7. https://complexityineducation.com/index.php/ljce
Koopmans, M. (2020). Using time series analysis to estimate complex regular cycles in daily high school attendance. Fluctuation and Noise Letters, 19(1). DOI: 10.1142/S0219477520500030.
Koopmans, M. (2019). Fractality and power law distributions: Shifting perspectives in educational research. Northeast Journal of Complex Systems, 1, Article 2. https://orb.binghamton.edu/nejcs/vol1/iss1/2/
Koopmans, M. (2019). Education is a dynamical system: Challenges for research. Journal of Experimental Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220973.2019.1566199
Koopmans, M., & Sayama, H. (Eds.) (2018). Special issue: Proceedings of the Second Satellite Symposium on Complex Systems and Education, held at the Conference on Complex Systems, Cancun, Mexico, September 20, 2017. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 18(1), 1-44.
Koopmans, M., & Sayama, H. (2018). Editorial introduction. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 18(1), 1-3.
Koopmans, M. (2018). Exploring the effects of creating small high schools on daily attendance: A statistical case study, Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 18(1), 19-30.
Koopmans, M. (2018). On the pervasiveness of long range memory processes in daily high school attendance rates. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 22(2), 243-262.
Stamovlasis, D., & Koopmans, M. (2017). Editorial introduction. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 14(2), 1-6.
Stamovlasis, D., & Koopmans, M. (Eds.) (2017). Special issue: Proceedings of the Symposium on Complex Systems in Education: Questions, methods and implications for practice, held at the Conference on Complex Systems, Amsterdam, Netherlands; September 20, 2016. Complicity: An International Journal for Complexity and Education, 14(2), 1-115.
Koopmans, M. (2017). Estimating perturbation and meta-stability in the daily attendance rates of six small high schools. Fluctuation and Noise Letters, 16(3). doi: 10.1142/S0219477517500213.
Koopmans, M. (2017). Using data to improve practice. Review of Action Research in the Classroom: Helping Teachers Assess and Improve their Work, by Sr. Mary Ann Jacobs and Bruce S. Cooper. Global Education Review, 4(1), 118-119.
Koopmans, M. (2017). Mixed methods in search of a problem: Perspectives from complexity theory. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 11(1), 16-18. doi:10.1177/1558689816676662.
Koopmans, M. (2016). Addressing the policy churn in public education in the United States. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 20(3), 401-422.
Koopmans, M. (2016). Betting on people: An essay review of Dale Russakoff’s The prize: Who is in charge of America’s schools? Education Review // Reseñas Educativas, 23 (June). http://edrev.asu.edu/index.php/ER/article/view/2036
Koopmans, M. (2016). Ergodicity and the merits of the single case. In M. Koopmans, & D. Stamovlasis (Eds.) Complex dynamical systems in education: Concepts, methods and applications (pp. 119-139). Springer.
Koopmans, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2016). Introduction to education as a complex dynamical system. In M. Koopmans, & D. Stamovlasis (Eds.) Complex dynamical systems in education: Concepts, methods and applications (pp. 1-7). Springer.
Koopmans, M. (2015). When time makes a difference: Addressing ergodicity and complexity in education. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 12(2), 5-25.
Koopmans, M. (2015). Large-Scale studies and their impact on theory and professional practice. Challenging Organizations and Society: Reflective Hybrids, 4(2), 782-795.
Koopmans, M. (2015). Lessons on whole system reform. Review of Leading Educational Change, edited by Helen J. Malone. Global Education Review, 2(1), 56-57.
Koopmans, M. (2015). A dynamical view of high school attendance: An assessment of short-term and long-term dependencies in five urban schools. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 19, 65-80.
Koopmans, M. (2014). Change, self-organization and the search for causality in educational research and practice. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 11, 20-39.
Koopmans, M. (2014). Nonlinear change and the black box problem in educational research. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 18, 5-22.
Stamovlasis, D. & Koopmans, M. (2014). Editorial introduction: Education is a dynamical system. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 18, 1-4.
Koopmans, M. (2012). Review of New Thinking in Complexity for the Social Sciences and Humanities by Ton Jörg. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 16, 498-500.
Koopmans, M. (2012). An appreciation of the Yellow Book past 20. SCTPLS Newsletter, 20, 6-7.
Koopmans, M. (2009). Epilogue: Psychology at the edge of chaos. In S. J. Guastello, M. Koopmans, & D. Pincus (Eds.) Chaos and Complexity in Psychology: The Theory of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (Pp. 506-526). Cambridge University Press.
Guastello, S. J., Koopmans, M., & Pincus, D. (Eds.) (2009). Chaos and Complexity in Psychology: The Theory of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems. Cambridge University Press.