2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Investigating Perceptions of Inventiveness and Entrepreneurial Mindsets in Late Elementary School Students

Presented at ENT-5: Pathways for Developing Entrepreneurial Skills Across Educational Levels

Invention education promotes the development of critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills essential for success in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset encourages students to explore ideas, iterate solutions, and embrace experimentation. Research shows that students who actively engage in hands-on invention activities are more likely to develop skills such as collaboration, resourcefulness, and resilience. These skills empower them to tackle complex problems with confidence, fostering a deeper connection to STEM learning. Prior studies have explored how attitudes toward STEM influence persistence, but more research is needed to examine how inventiveness and students' perceptions of using science and math in creative contexts drive deeper engagement and innovative thinking.

This paper will address two key research questions:

1. How do participants define inventiveness and entrepreneurial thinking, and how do they apply these concepts both within _____ _____ and in real-world settings?
2. How do participants' favorite activities at _____ _____ foster inventiveness and entrepreneurial thinking, particularly through the integration of science and math?

Participants came from an informal summer learning experience and included lower and upper elementary students from 3rd to 6th grade, with a total of six focus groups held in _____ and _____. Quantitative data has been analyzed and published in an earlier paper, and this paper will discuss the findings from the qualitative data collected. Focus groups were conducted to investigate students’ perspectives regarding camp activities and content included in the program.

Qualitative data from the focus groups will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify themes related to participants' perceptions of inventiveness and their favorite activities during _____ _____, focusing on their engagement with science and math. The analysis will also examine their understanding of inventiveness, examples of when they applied creative problem-solving both during and outside of _____ _____, and their insights into what they find most exciting about the process of inventing. By exploring how students define and experience inventiveness and entrepreneurial thinking through engaging activities, educators can provide students with the skills they need to thrive in STEM fields and pursue future entrepreneurial opportunities.

Authors

Jasmine N Patel http://orcid.org/0009-0009-3712-7519 Georgia Institute of Technology [biography]

Jasmine Patel is a Research Associate at Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC). She specializes in invention education and informal STEM learning within K-12 settings. Her work involves research into the implementation and effects of educational interventions. In her role, Jasmine collaborates with a diverse group of K-12 students, educators, and administrators to develop and execute research and evaluation strategies focused on invention and science education.
Alaina Lee Rutledge [biography]

National STEAM, Innovation and Creativity specialist. Led the development and research of OST programming for the world's premier Invention Education program. Focused on current educational trends and deeply understands the STEAM market. Led the development of STEAM programming that engaged thousands of educators and millions of children in large-scale national dynamic, high-quality, transformative learning experiences.

Current research focus areas: Invention Education, Equity, Identity, OST, SEL
Jayme M. Cellitioci [biography]

Jayme Cellitioci is the Director of Creativity and Innovation at the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). She leads vision and strategy for the development of educational programming that is centered around insights from the NIHF Inductees. Jayme curates content for NIHF museum located at the United States Patent and Trademark Office; events and ceremonies; and other outreach initiatives. She also oversees research partnerships and the application of findings to curricula. Jayme holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology/biology, a master’s in creativity and change leadership, and a professional certificate in free-choice learning.
Ashley Giordano [biography]

Ashley has an M.A. in History and a Museum Studies Certificate from the University of Delaware. Her career at the National Inventors Hall of Fame began as a curriculum writer, but quickly evolved to reflect her passion for supporting the tactical details of large-scale programs and product development and dissemination. Ashley is currently engaged in research on behalf of NIHF as a member of the Strategic Data Project Fellowship, a program of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.
Roxanne A. Moore Ph.D. http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0536-4957 Georgia Institute of Technology [biography]

Dr. Roxanne Moore is currently a Principal Research Engineer at Georgia Tech with appointments in the Center for Education Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Computing (CEISMC) and Mechanical Engineering. She has spent her 12+ year research faculty career focusing on broadening participation in STEM and creating novel learning experiences for students all over the world. Dr. Moore focuses on empowering students with a STEM toolbox so they can design their own future. She has served in leadership roles on over $17M in grants from sponsors including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Economic Development Agency, the Lemelson Foundation, Amazon, and Google and has co-authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications.

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