Exploring Extracurricular Opportunities: Mentoring Teacher Candidates in a University Robotics Club

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Mentoring in Education (Table 3)

Abstract

This paper explores an extracurricular robotics club in a teacher education program as another way to mentor teacher candidates, and to alleviate nervousness around teaching robotics and coding. The perspectives of nine robotics club members in two academic years (2022-2023 and 2023-2024) were collected via open-ended survey responses and focus groups. The robotics club provided opportunities for members to play with robotics and coding through structured and unstructured activities. Also, they practiced teaching robotics through visits to local schools. Teacher candidates’ experiences with the club are discussed in categories of professional (competence), personal (confidence), and social (belonging) development. We conclude with recommendations for teacher education programs to explore mentoring opportunities that informal extracurricular clubs like this can provide.

Authors

• Cathlene Hillier, University of Saskatchewan

• Tye Campbell, Utah State University

• Diandra Singh, Crandall University