Teacher training in robotics - evaluating the implementation of robotics and teachers motivation and self-efficacy towards robotics.

Abstract

The competent, critical, cooperative, and creative use of digital technologies has become a fundamental requirement for participation in society and professional life. Human-robot collaboration, which is increasingly common in industry, and networked production through the Internet of Things are prime examples of this. Teachers therefore need to be prepared for the challenges in times of digital transformation in order to prepare students for the increasingly digitalised labour market of today and tomorrow. As part of the so-called master plan for digitization, the project “Robonatives" is equipping technology labs at 65 schools. In order to ensure a structured implementation in line with the project's objectives, the University of Oldenburg, among others, is supporting these schools in the development of curriculum for long-term integration into the schools' own curriculum. Teachers are provided with advanced training courses addressing the use of robots, occupational safety, and ethical and social issues, as well as the design of learning situations. The aim is to establish the topic in schools in the long-term, beyond the project's duration (24 months). In line with this, the article presents and evaluates a study on how robotics is embedded in the lessons of the project schools. A further aim of the evaluation is to measure the teachers' motivation and self-efficacy to teach robotics, in order to evaluate the training concept and to identify further needs.