Creating an Organizational Culture in Support of Innovation Education: A Canadian Case Study

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Innovation and its associated practices (e.g., entrepreneurial-focused curricula, creativity initiatives, makerspaces) are increasingly moving from the periphery to the center of postsecondary institutional identities on an international scale. Set against this context, the purpose of this study was to examine a Canadian institution distinctively identified for its positioning as the country's leading institution for innovation education. Building on a robust literature base and theoretical perspectives, we employed a case study methodology to examine these phenomena. Qualitative data were collected from administrators and staff from varying offices and perspectives (i.e., senior and junior, externally and internally facing), faculty from different disciplines and ranks, and students. Findings suggest that centering innovation presents a distinctive set of complications for institutional stakeholders as they empower students with the tools needed to build regional creative economies. Implications emerged for international researchers and practitioners interested in innovation at the level of students, institutions, communities, and nations.

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Full text: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/786642

Building Women’s Innovation Capacities Through Undergraduate Experiences

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This study examines how collegiate climates and practices can promote innovation capacities among an international longitudinal sample of undergraduate women. Using a pre-test/post-test quantitative design with a reliable and valid dependent measure of innovation capacities, this study employs structural equation modeling to robustly estimate collegiate effects over-and-above students’ entry characteristics and personality traits. Results indicate that curricular practices (e.g., faculty challenge, course-taking patterns) and co-curricular engagement (e.g., connecting experiences) spur the development of innovation capacities among our sample of women. Findings are discussed and implications for theory, research, and practice are provided.

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Full text: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11162-021-09659-3

Developing Innovators: A Longitudinal Analysis Over Four College Years

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The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of collegiate environments and experiences on students’ development of innovation capacities over four years of college. Drawing on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework and reliable innovation measures, students from nine postsecondary institutions in North America were surveyed at three time points: first-year fall, first-year spring, and fourth-year spring. Data were comprehensively analyzed using a growth mixture modeling approach. Results suggest that being a transfer student and having sustained engagement with experiences that connect in-class and out-of-class learning were associated with a robust innovation growth trajectory over-and-above known covariates, including personality traits. Implications for research, theory, and practice are considered.

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Full text: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.854436/full