Comparing Preservice Teachers Learning of Science in a Maker and a Scaffolded Robotics Intervention
Abstract: This study reports on the effect of a maker robotics approach and a scaffolded robotics approach on elementary pre-service teachers’ knowledge of science and self-efficacy to teach science with robotics. A pre-post intervention study was conducted with two non-equivalent groups. Statistical results indicated that the maker and scaffolded robotics intervention caused gains in preservice teachers’ science knowledge but greater gains occurred in the scaffolded intervention. While self-efficacy increased in the scaffolded intervention, the maker intervention showed no effect on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with robotics. The results provide empirical evidence that while a maker approach did cause some gains in science knowledge, it was not effective at developing preservice teachers’ self-efficacy to teach with robotics. Educators need to consider how maker approaches can be implemented to emphasise connections between the activity and K-12 curriculum.