Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences) ›› 2022, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (3): 99-111.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2022.03.009

• ? • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Can Educational Robots Improve Student Creativity: An Meta-analysis Based on 48 Experimental and Quasi-experimental Studies

Haoxiang Hou1, Xianyi Zhang2, Dan Wang2   

  1. 1. Faculty of Education, JiangNan University, Jiangsu Wuxi, 214000, China
    2. Wuxi Teacher Development College, Jiangsu Wuxi, 214000, China
  • Online:2022-03-01 Published:2022-03-01

Abstract:

Cultivating innovative talents has become a basic path for our country to build a strong country in science and technology and solve the “stuck neck” technical problems.Catering to the trend of educational reform in the intelligent age, the use of robotics to enhance students’ creativity shows richer practical value and contemporary significance.In this study, 48 domestic and foreign experimental studies and 6, 057 sample sizes were coded using the meta-analysis method, and the findings show that, first, the overall effect of educational robots on students’ creativity was 0.576, reaching a medium or above level of influence. Among them, the effect of promoting students’ innovative practical ability was the most obvious, and the degree of influence on the quality of innovative personality was average. Second, from the perspective of the academic stage, the effect of educational robot on the creativity of students in junior middle school and primary school was more obvious; Third, in terms of disciplines, software programming had the best impact on students’ creativity, followed by information technology. Fourth, among teaching topics, prototype creation had the most impact on students’ creativity and the level was above the intermediate level. Fifth, in terms of the choice of teaching methods, inquiry teaching can better stimulate students’ creativity. Finally, compared with ordinary classrooms, the laboratory environment was more optimistic for the development of students’ creativity. Combined with field research, four practical suggestions are put forward. We need to promote the implementation of artificial intelligence-related courses, taking into account the cultivation of students’ innovative personality and thinking in the teaching process. Schools should focus on the cultivation of low-level students’ creativity, and vigorously promote software programming teaching. Also, schools need to create robots Maker education model, improve the training system and incentive mechanism for teachers of related subjects; schools should promote the design of laboratory hardware and software environment, and raise funds for educational robots in various aspects.

Key words: educational robot, creativity, artificial intelligence, software programming, teaching mode