Using Activity Theory to Investigate the Influence of Teachers' Beliefs upon their Teaching of Science through Robotics

Abstract

Emerging curriculum documents are recommending an integrated problem based approach to the teaching of science and technology practice. The construction of robots has been identified as rich in science and thus it is a medium through which science can be learnt. However, little research has focused upon teacher implementation of robotic learning and in particular upon the effect of teacher beliefs upon student learning in this environment. This study used the analytical frame of activity theory to explore the effect of teacher beliefs on how they implement a robotics unit for the first time with middle school students. It was found that the science remained implicit. Further, each teacher enacted different rules and assigned different divisions of labour such that student use of tools and learning was quite different in the two classes. The findings have implications for pre and in - service professional development as well as integrated unit planning.