TY - JOUR
T1 - Robotics to promote elementary education pre-service teachers' STEM engagement, learning, and teaching
AU - Kim, Chanmin
AU - Kim, Dongho
AU - Yuan, Jiangmei
AU - Hill, Roger B.
AU - Doshi, Prashant
AU - Thai, Chi N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2015/12/15
Y1 - 2015/12/15
N2 - We report a research project with a purpose of helping teachers learn how to design and implement science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lessons using robotics. Specifically, pre-service teachers' STEM engagement, learning, and teaching via robotics were investigated in an elementary teacher preparation course. Data were collected from surveys, classroom observations, interviews, and lesson plans. Both quantitative and qualitative data analyses indicated that pre-service teachers engaged in robotics activities actively and mindfully. Their STEM engagement improved overall. Their emotional engagement (e.g., interest, enjoyment) in STEM significantly improved and in turn influenced their behavioral and cognitive engagement in STEM. Their lesson designs showed their STEM teaching was developing in productive directions although further work was needed. These findings suggest that robotics can be used as a technology in activities designed to enhance teachers' STEM engagement and teaching through improved attitudes toward STEM. Future research and teacher education recommendations are also presented.
AB - We report a research project with a purpose of helping teachers learn how to design and implement science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lessons using robotics. Specifically, pre-service teachers' STEM engagement, learning, and teaching via robotics were investigated in an elementary teacher preparation course. Data were collected from surveys, classroom observations, interviews, and lesson plans. Both quantitative and qualitative data analyses indicated that pre-service teachers engaged in robotics activities actively and mindfully. Their STEM engagement improved overall. Their emotional engagement (e.g., interest, enjoyment) in STEM significantly improved and in turn influenced their behavioral and cognitive engagement in STEM. Their lesson designs showed their STEM teaching was developing in productive directions although further work was needed. These findings suggest that robotics can be used as a technology in activities designed to enhance teachers' STEM engagement and teaching through improved attitudes toward STEM. Future research and teacher education recommendations are also presented.
KW - Educational robotics
KW - Elementary education
KW - Engagement
KW - STEM education
KW - Teacher preparation
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84942412974
U2 - 10.1016/j.compedu.2015.08.005
DO - 10.1016/j.compedu.2015.08.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84942412974
SN - 0360-1315
VL - 91
SP - 14
EP - 31
JO - Computers and Education
JF - Computers and Education
ER -