Abstracts
Abstract
Integrating STEM education within the elementary school science curriculum in Ontario, Canada, elevated the expectation for elementary preservice teachers to teach STEM skills such as problem-solving through coding. Research shows that educational robotics can promote STEM knowledge and skills. This mixed methods study investigates the effect of an educational robotics intervention on preservice teachers’ STEM problem-solving skills and their self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data sources included a pre- and postquestionnaire on problem-solving, a pre- and post- self-efficacy teaching questionnaire, a problem-solving worksheet, and transcripts of group interactions. Quantitative findings were statistically significant for preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics (large effect size) and for problem-solving competencies (small effect size). Using a STEM problem-solving framework, two preservice teacher group interactions were analysed. Qualitative findings indicated that preservice teachers exhibited similar problem-solving processes as STEM experts, but preservice teachers’ prior STEM knowledge limited the types of decisions considered at the problem-solving stages. The study provides an example of how preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with educational robotics was developed within a science education course and lends unique insights into the problem-solving processes these preservice teacher groups engaged in.
Keywords:
- educational robotics,
- preservice teachers,
- self-efficacy,
- STEM,
- problem-solving skills
Résumé
Avec l’intégration de l’enseignement des STIM dans le programme de sciences de l’école primaire en Ontario, au Canada, les futurs enseignants devront s’attendre à enseigner des compétences en lien avec la programmation informatique et la résolution de problèmes. La littérature scientifique montre que la robotique éducative peut favoriser l’acquisition de connaissances et de compétences dans le domaine des STIM. Cette étude à méthodes mixtes porte sur l’effet d’une intervention en robotique éducative sur les compétences en résolution de problèmes dans les STIM chez des enseignants en formation et sur leur auto-efficacité vis-à-vis de la robotique éducative pendant la pandémie de COVID-19. Les sources de données comprenaient des questionnaires sur les processus de résolution de problèmes et sur l’auto-efficacité relative à l’enseignement, une feuille de travail sur la résolution de problèmes et des transcriptions des interactions au sein du groupe. Les résultats quantitatifs étaient significatifs d’un point de vue statistique en ce qui concerne l’auto-efficacité des enseignants en formation initiale relativement à la robotique éducative (taille de l’effet forte) et leurs compétences en matière de résolution de problèmes (taille de l’effet faible). Les interactions de deux groupes d’enseignants en formation initiale ont été analysées selon un cadre de résolution de problèmes propre aux STIM. Les résultats qualitatifs indiquent que les processus de résolution de problèmes des enseignants en formation initiale sont similaires à ceux des experts en STIM, mais que les connaissances préalables de ces enseignants en STIM ont eu pour effet de limiter les types de décisions prises lors des étapes de résolution de problèmes. L’étude montre de quelle façon l’auto-efficacité de futurs enseignants vis-à-vis de la robotique éducative a évolué dans le cadre d’un cours de science et donne un aperçu unique des processus de résolution de problèmes que ces groupes d’enseignants en formation ont mis en oeuvre.
Mots-clés :
- auto-efficacité,
- compétence en résolution de problèmes,
- futurs enseignants,
- robotique éducative,
- STIM
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Appendices
Biographical note
Kamini Jaipal-Jamani is a full Professor in Science Education and Teacher Education and Chair, Department of Educational Studies at Brock University in Canada. Previously, she was the director of the Teacher Education program from 2018–2021. Her current research focuses on preservice teachers using educational robotics to teach STEM. Email: kjaipal@brocku.ca ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000- 0002-6750-9982
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