A Study About the Effects of Educational Robotics Activities on Students’ Self-efficacy Regarding STEM Career Decisions

This study represents an important step to bring innovative teaching practices to schools. The study underlines the effects on increasing the students’ interest in STEM, self-efficacy and STEM career decisions with educational robotics activities. The implementation of robotics equipment in activities is not the only factor that influences the students’ STEM career decisions. Other factors are the didactical design in various settings or the use of different robotics equipment. The study evaluated data from app. 1500 students with questionnaires before and after the activities and identified the different effects on students’ STEM interest and their self-efficacy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented the implementation of on-site activities in schools for a longer period, also online workshops using simulations were carried out and evaluated. Besides, a specific case study was analyzed that applied an innovative hybrid setting with 23 students at a business school in Vienna, Austria.