Educational Robotics and Preservice Teachers: STEM Problem-Solving Skills and Self-Efficacy to Teach

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. 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 quanti