Impact of Using Educational Robot in the Development of Spatial Inference Skills for Grade 4 Students in Mathematics Course

Abstract

The educational robot has been experimented in this study as an educational tool. The research aimed to investigate the impact of using educational robot (Sphero) in the development of spatial inference skills for grade 4 students in mathematics course. The study used quasi-experimental approach and utilized the course achievement test of spatial inference skills for grade 4 students in Mathematics Curriculum in Saudi Arabia as the study tool to assess the differences between the means of the groups, combined with Qualitative Direct Observation, to report the class observation in terms of barriers and potentialities. The sample of the study consisted of (60) students of 4^th grade (assigned to two experimental and control groups). Findings indicated significant differences between the average of means between the experimental and control groups inclining to the experimental group. The study recommendations included: the need of establishing specialized laboratories for robotics in schools, including robotics programming in the general education curriculum and the use of robots as an educational tool in mathematics curriculum.