The Impact of Age and Educational Robotics on Children's Perception of Robots: A Qualitative Coding Analysis

Lorenza Saettone, Michela Bogliolo, Anna Allegra Bixio, Antonio Sgorbissa, Riccardo Fedriga, Emanuele Micheli, Maura Casadio, Carmine Recchiuto

Abstract: Educational robotics is increasingly merging into school curricula. Understanding the subjective perceptions of robots, particularly among children, requires nuanced approaches. In this paper, we employed a qualitative coding analysis method to explore how children of different ages conceptualise robots through drawings, and how prior experiences with robotics influence their perceptions. Our findings reveal that the perception of robotics is influenced by cognitive development stages, which is in turn affected by age, and by educational robotics. The latter plays a significant role in shaping perceptions of robots, fostering positive attitudes and aiding cognitive development, particularly in first-grade students. Our insights can inform both teachers to better tailor their educational robotics activities for different age groups and robot designers themselves. For instance, our findings highlight the importance of emotional expression and the preference for humanoid robots among primary school children.

External IDs:dblp:conf/ro-man/SaettoneBBSFMCR24