ERIC Number: EJ1233195
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Nov
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0957 7572
EISSN: N/A
Investigating the Use of Robotics to Increase Girls' Interest in Engineering during Early Elementary School
Sullivan, Amanda; Bers, Marina Umaschi
International Journal of Technology and Design Education, v29 n5 p1033-1051 Nov 2019
Men continue to outnumber women in many Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields, particularly technical fields such as engineering and computer science. Educational interventions aimed at addressing the gender disparity between men and women have generally focused on increasing the interest of girls and women during high school and college. There is limited research on interventions that take place during the formative early childhood years. This study addresses this gap by working with young children (ages 5-7) and exploring their newly forming attitudes and interest in technology and engineering. The study asked the following research questions: (1) What are children's initial attitudes and ideas about technology and engineering? (2) Do boys and girls differ in their initial attitudes about technology and engineering? (3) Does participation in a 7-week KIBO robotics curriculum have an impact on children's attitudes and ideas about technology and engineering? (4) Do boys and girls perform differently on robotics and programming tasks in early childhood? To answer these questions, public school children in Kindergarten through second grade (N = 105) participated in an introductory KIBO robotics curriculum. Data was collected on their attitudes toward technology and engineering before and after participation in the curriculum as well as their mastery of programming concepts taught. Results provide preliminary evidence that a developmentally appropriate robotics curriculum can increase girls' interest in engineering.
Descriptors: Robotics, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, STEM Education, Gender Differences, Intervention, Young Children, Student Attitudes, Student Interests, Technology, Engineering, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Program Effectiveness, Females
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Grade 1; Grade 2
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: DRL1118897