Self-Efficacy, Identity, and Interest Amid an Invention Contest: A Phenomenological Study in Required Seventh-Grade Classes

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Topics for 21st Century Middle-Level Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Inventing can support personal convenience and the public good, especially when conducted in diverse teams. However, US patent data suggest that individuals might be losing interest in inventing as a long-term pursuit before adulthood, when most patents are filed. The present study examines self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977), identity, and interest for seventh graders in a required science class. We took a phenomenological approach (Creswell, 2013) to understand students’ epiphanies around a contest during their invention unit on insulating lunchboxes. Findings indicate that poor performance in the contest had a substantial impact on students’ attitudes towards inventing, though it was somewhat muted by an element of fun engendered by the motivating competition. We conclude with implications for invention education with young adolescents.

Authors

• David W. Jackson, Boston College

• Amy R Semerjian, Boston College