Exploring Young Children’s Problem-Solving Processes with Educational Robots: A Multi-Case Study

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Four
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT016 (Saturday)

Abstract

This qualitative multi-case study explores how four- to five-year-old children in a rural U.S. preschool engage in problem-solving through robotics activities using Bee-Bot. Grounded in constructivist theory and Jonassen’s framework for ill-structured problem-solving, the study examines how children identify, plan, and reflect during individual and group sessions. Data from video recordings, think-aloud protocols, and observations were triangulated to capture cognitive and behavioral processes. Preliminary findings reveal that individual sessions foster autonomy and metacognitive awareness, whereas group sessions enhance communication, negotiation, and shared regulation. By situating robotics in a resource-limited rural context, the study contributes to equitable early STEM education and provides practical implications for designing child-centered, play-based robotics experiences that promote collaborative and independent problem-solving.

Author

• Cong Liu, Binghamton University - SUNY