Self-Direction in Physics Graduate Education: Insights for STEM from David J. Rowe’s Career-Long Methods

Abstract

The ability to self-direct a research program determines graduate degree completion. Yet, research on incompletion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate programs assumes students’ present level of self-direction adequate and neglects to recognize a lack of self-directed learning (SDL) as key. This essay explores SDL for STEM, presenting the work of theoretical nuclear physicist David J. Rowe as a key example of applying a process of SDL in practice. Rowe focused on this challenge of physics graduate education by promoting SDL through the type of research flow that has been found to bring the greatest satisfaction to researchers regarding their insights. Strategies he explored involved his space, time, open mindedness and theoretical contributions with students and in collaboration with colleagues. A self-directed learner himself, Rowe developed methods of mentoring for encouraging physics graduate students to recognize symmetry as valuable in identifying solutions to problems quickly—helping students take the lead in finding insightful resolutions to complex, multidimensional, mathematical physics uncertainties. These strategies for supporting SDL in this context are examined here, with the use of narrative research to interpret the texts and conversations exchanged with the author. The process of SDL developed by Rowe is presented with recommendations on how Rowe’s methods may be modeled to improve self-direction in STEM graduate education more widely.

Work-Related Flow in Contrast to Either Happiness or PERMA Factors for Human Resources Management Development of Career Sustainability

“…They are as follows: Building Work Engagement in Organizations [53], Changing the Environment Based on Empowerment [54], Contributions to Sustainability in SMEs: Human Resources [55], Creativity and Resilience as Predictors of Career Success [56], Does Happiness Launch More Businesses? Affect, Gender [57], Effect of Attainment Value and Positive Thinking [58], Effects of Selected Positive Resources on Hospitality Service [59], Engagement, Passion and Meaning of Work [60], Explaining the Paradox: How Pro-Environmental [61], Factors Affecting Entrepreneurship and Business [62], Gratitude in Organizations: Psychometric Properties [63], Human Resource Practices, Eudaimonic Well-Being [64], Intelligence and Creativity: Mapping Constructs [65], Occupational Stress: Preventing Suffering, Enhancing Wellbeing [66], Personality Traits and Positive Resources of Workers [67], Positive Orientation and Strategies for Coping with Stress [68], Promoting Flow at Work through Proactive Personality [69], Psychological Capital, Workload, and Burnout [70], Relationships between High Ability (Gifted) and Flow [71], Revisiting the Happy-Productive Worker Thesis [72], David J. Rowe's Career-Long Methods [73], Self-Perceived Employability and Meaningful Work [74], The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility [75], The Longitudinal Link between Organizational Citizenship [76], The Nature of Job Crafting: Positive and Negative Relations [77], The Role of Relationships at Work and Happiness [78], To Be Happy: A Case Study of Entrepreneurial [79], What Are the Common Themes of Physician Resilience? [80].…”

Work-Related Flow in Career Sustainability

“…Notable is that an interpretation of the theory is the basis of one of these works [24] and not Csikszentmihalyi's theory of workrelated flow. The two other reports [44,45] published in disparate fields represent studies directly influenced by the work-related flow theory of Csikszentmihalyi regarding career sustainability. An examination of these three reports of Csikszentmihalyi's influence has been provided elsewhere [16].…”

“…Interest in work-related flow has remained regarding career sustainability over the years; nevertheless, research focus on career sustainability has shifted from a study of flow to investigations of happiness and aspects of PERMA as the predominant concerns even when Csikszentmihalyi's research on flow is referenced [54][55][56][57]. A paucity of research devoted to Csikszentmihalyi's understanding of the process of work-related flow is the result [24,44,45]. Yet, it is a concept that has proven its value for career sustainability, unlike either a focus on time-dependent happiness or PERMA factors, revealed to be deficient in their construction.…”

“…In current work settings, the promotion of flow with a goal of career sustainability concentrates on recruiting employees with the courage to be different who possess independent thought and action and who have high levels of self-confidence [44]. Also important is supporting programs that provide those who might engage in flow with spaces designed appropriately, time to experience valued activities, and the assignment of open-minded supervisors in their approach to problem-solving activities-those who can provide foundational contributions regarding the theoretical aspect of solving work-related problems [45]. Efforts in promoting work-related flow for career sustainability should also concentrate on finding the ways and means for more women to enter the conditions for flow through access to active, tenured, and low-strain jobs with high decision latitude.…”

“…Figure 1. Three articles that detail the relationship between Csikszentmihalyi's account of workrelated flow and career sustainability[24,44,45], and the Csikszentmihalyi articles cited in the three papers[5,9,11,32,[46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]. * This reference has been renamed by the publisher and is now called Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention.…”