Amanda Sullivan

About

Amanda Sullivan is a pioneering researcher in early childhood STEM education, with a particular focus on robotics, programming, and computational thinking for young learners. Her groundbreaking work has fundamentally shaped how educators and researchers understand technology integration in pre-kindergarten through second-grade classrooms. Sullivan's most celebrated contribution, "Computational Thinking and Tinkering" (2013), has garnered over 930 citations, establishing her as a leading voice in developmentally appropriate approaches to coding and engineering for young children. Sullivan's research extends beyond technical skill-building to address critical equity concerns, particularly gender disparities in early STEM engagement. Through multiple studies examining how girls and boys perform on robotics tasks, she has advocated for early intervention before gender stereotypes take root. Her involvement in developing KIBO, a tangible robotics kit designed specifically for children ages 4–7, reflects her commitment to translating research into practical classroom tools. Her internationally recognized work, including studies conducted in Singapore integrating arts and robotics, demonstrates a cross-cultural perspective on STEM learning. With a cumulative citation count exceeding 2,900, Sullivan's scholarship continues to influence curriculum design, teacher education, and educational technology policy worldwide.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Computational thinking and tinkering: Exploration of an early childhood robotics curriculum

   933 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Robotics in the early childhood classroom: learning outcomes from an 8-week robotics curriculum in pre-kindergarten through second grade

   444 citations · 2015
3. 3
   The Effect of a Classroom-Based Intensive Robotics and Programming Workshop on Sequencing Ability in Early Childhood

   424 citations · 2012
4. 4
   Dancing robots: integrating art, music, and robotics in Singapore’s early childhood centers

   263 citations · 2017
5. 5
   Ready for Robotics: Bringing Together the T and E of STEM in Early Childhood Teacher Education.

   158 citations · 2013
6. 6
   Gender differences in kindergarteners’ robotics and programming achievement

   150 citations · 2012
7. 7
   The Impact of User Interface on Young Children’s Computational Thinking

   146 citations · 2017
8. 8
   KIBO robot demo

   143 citations · 2015
9. 9
   Girls, Boys, and Bots: Gender Differences in Young Children’s Performance on Robotics and Programming Tasks

   136 citations · 2016
10. 10
    Investigating the use of robotics to increase girls’ interest in engineering during early elementary school

    136 citations · 2018

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links