Developing Teacher Self-Efficacy to Teach Science and Computational Thinking with Educational Robotics: Using Scaffolded Programming Scripts
Date
2018ISBN
978-3-319-99858-9Publisher
Springer International PublishingPlace of publication
ChamSource
Self-Efficacy in Instructional Technology ContextsPages
183-203Google Scholar check
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
There is a paucity of studies examining pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy to use robotics to teach science, and especially computational thinking skills. This chapter reports on a study examining pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy to teach science and computer programming with robotics using LEGO WeDo robotics kits supported by scaffolded programming scripts. Pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy was assessed, before and after the robotics activity, with questionnaires to evaluate the extent to which the scaffolded programming intervention influenced them positively or negatively in believing that they developed the skill and confidence to teach with educational robotics. Statistical results indicate that the robotics intervention with scaffolded programming scripts was successful at increasing pre-service teachers’ computational thinking skills and self-efficacy for teaching with robotics. The study results further suggest that the scaffolded programming intervention provides a promising instructional strategy for teaching computational thinking through science design activities with robotics kits.