Exploring Primary School Students' Perceptions of Educational Robotics for Motivation and Learning

Abstract

Educational robotics can improve student engagement and learning, especially in STEM subjects, by combining hands-on tasks with real-world applications that promote intrinsic motivation and 21st century skills such as problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking. This study examines how primary school students perceive a robotics activity in which mBot robots are programmed to perform real-world tasks in a collaborative environment. To promote motivation, engagement and computational thinking, students' attitudes were examined using three theoretical models: the Motivation Model (MM), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Value-based Adoption Model (VAM). Primary school students (N=45) aged 10 to 12 years participated in the study, including 19 girls and 25 boys, about half of whom had already had one year of experience in robotics. The results show high intrinsic motivation and satisfaction. Students found the activity fun, engaging and educationally valuable, although some noted that it was time and effort intensive. Nevertheless, most found the experience worthwhile and would recommend it to others. The results highlight the potential of well-designed robotics activities to promote motivation and support meaningful learning in primary education.