How do engineering physics students view the relation between science and technology?

Paper i proceeding, 2011

This paper reports on a study investigating how students in engineering physics conceptualize the relation between science and technology. Ten interviews were conducted and then analyzed using a phenomenographic approach. Three different ways of conceptualizing the relation between science and technology were found: “Technology as an independent discipline”, “Technology as applied science” and “Technology as reciprocal to science”. We suggest that these results can serve as input for discussing the role of physics in engineering education, as well as the nature and purpose of engineering.