Examining students’ perceptions of innovation and entrepreneurship in physics

Abstract

The joint AAPT and APS PHYS21 report emphasizes preparing students for diverse career paths, including the need for more opportunities to learn innovation and entrepreneurship in physics. To support these changes, research is needed on students' interest and perceptions of innovation and entrepreneurship, and suggestions for integration into the undergraduate physics experience. We conducted semi-structured focus groups with 20 physics majors around several concepts related to innovation and entrepreneurship: technology, creativity, design, business, communication, and leadership. Emergent and thematic coding was used to analyze students' responses. Students have a complex view of innovation and entrepreneurship in physics perceiving creativity as closely related to physics, especially in undergraduate research, while business and leadership skills were distinct from physics and closer to engineering. These findings have implications for understanding students' perceptions of physics as a disciplinary community and field of study, and can assist departments seeking to better support students' careers.

Analysis of Physics Students' Subfield Career Decision-Making Using Social Cognitive Career Theory

“…Additional research in students' attitudes and perceptions about the skills and nature of physics supports this finding. Research from Leak et al identifies some of the common attitudes and perceptions students have as to what it is like to be a physicist, as well as what skills are important to physics [17,18]. Leak et al asked: What do students emphasize when asked to describe physics to a high school student considering majoring in physics?…”

“…Leak et al asked: What do students emphasize when asked to describe physics to a high school student considering majoring in physics? It was found that some of the emphasized details were things like "learn how the universe works," "learn how to learn," " have a passion for physics," and "gain flexible skill-sets" [17,18]. All of these focus on physics being about ideas rather than applications that help people and contribute to society.…”

Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in Physics: The PIPELINE Network

“…The PIPELINE Network Project Despite the potential benefits of incorporating PIE elements into physics programs, there are many reasons departments are slow to adopt these strategies. These include a lack of awareness of actual employment outcomes for physics graduates (and therefore an understanding of the need for efforts which prepare students for non-academic career paths), a lack of institutional support for such efforts, an uncomfortable feeling of unfamiliarity with entrepreneurial concepts, and a lack of existing, tested PIE curricula that could be easily adapted to fit within their department's unique landscape of resources and constraints (including being integrated into existing physics coursework) [23].…”

“…technology, communication, creativity) but others (design, business) as being unimportant to physics and more closely related to other fields (e.g. business or engineering) [23].…”