Robotics as a Means of Increasing Student Achievement in Middle School Science

Abstract

This study reports on the effectiveness of a Robotics engineering curriculum in increasing the middle school students‘ achievement in science and math. Specifically, it aimed to find out if the students taking the robotics class performed significantly higher in science and math than a control group. The research examined and compared the scores in a pre and posttest and the normalized learning gains of students taking robotics in addition to their regular science and math versus those who are taking science and math only. Although this study showed that there is no significant difference in the science achievement scores of students between the experimental and control group, gender was identified an as important factor that affects the learning outcomes in a Robotics class. Further analyses also showed that despite the fact that students used general math ideas as they engage in the problem solving process during robotics-driven activities, their knowledge of math is no different from those who are not taking robotics.