Developing engineering students’ willingness and ability to perform creative tasks

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore creativity and how it changes over time among engineering students in practice-based entrepreneurship in higher education. This change was examined in students over a one-semester course in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship courses that use creativity tools for practice-based learning are expected to develop creativity as a learning outcome. This study discusses the extent to which some learning outcomes are more easily developed than others. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a longitudinal design by applying a pre- and post-test survey. The student population consists of engineering students enrolled in an entrepreneurship course with practice-based learning involving creativity tools. The course includes team-based idea generation and business model development. To measure actual changes in students’ creativity, two measures were used to reflect different aspects. Findings The results show that students’ ability to perform creative tasks increased, while students’ willingness to engage in and their enjoyment of creative tasks decreased as a result of the course. Non-significant differences in changes were found between the two measures, but a difference was found in how the two measures changed during the course. In line with the research question, the results suggest that education may influence ability to a greater extent than willingness. Originality/value The research used two different creativity measures to explore the extent to which engineering students experienced a change in creativity over a one-semester entrepreneurship course. In this way, the research contributes to the discussion on what could be learnt and by what means.

Neurocognitive Profile of Creativity in Improving Academic Performance—A Scoping Review

“…The results of their study indicate that students with higher levels of creativity may exhibit superior problem-solving skills and achieve higher performance outcomes when faced with non-routine and open-ended tasks compared to students with lower levels of creativity. The study by Pettersen et al (2019) examined the progression of creative work engagement among engineering students, focusing on their inclination and proficiency. The findings of their study indicated that children with a higher level of creativity may have a greater inclination and capability to participate in creative endeavors compared to students with lower levels of creativity.…”

Boosting entrepreneurial competences beyond business and management–related disciplines. The case of engineering programs

“…Interest in entrepreneurship education has experienced significant growth, prompted by what society expects from the workforce: individuals who can add value to the economic and social system through promoting innovation and finding new ways of doing things (Pettersen et al, 2019;Rahman et al, 2022). Accordingly, training entrepreneurs in higher education is crucial in achieving this mandate (Iglesias-S anchez et al, 2019;Reis et al, 2021;Zamberi Ahmad, 2013).…”

“…The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0040-0912.htm thrive in diverse and evolving situations (Bejinaru, 2018;Pettersen et al, 2019). As noted by Watson and McGowan (2019), while entrepreneurship education has traditionally focused on equipping learners with the knowledge to create new ventures, its scope has broadened over time to encompass the skills, behaviors and attitudes required for overall effectiveness.…”

“…Interest in entrepreneurship education has experienced significant growth, prompted by what society expects from the workforce: individuals who can add value to the economic and social system through promoting innovation and finding new ways of doing things (Pettersen et al. , 2019; Rahman et al.…”

“…, 2019; Huq and Gilbert, 2017). The ultimate goal is to better prepare students for the workforce, enabling them to adapt and thrive in diverse and evolving situations (Bejinaru, 2018; Pettersen et al. , 2019).…”