Influences of Gender and Socioeconomic Status on Children's Use of Robotics in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review

• Published in: Early education and development Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 910 - 926
• Main Authors: Su, Jiahong, Yang, Weipeng, Zhong, Yuchun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Routledge 19.05.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Children; Early Childhood Education; Education; Gender; Gender Differences; Literature Reviews; Low Income Groups; Low Income Students; Research Methodology; Robotics; Social Differences; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic Status; Student Attitudes; Systematic review; Young Children
• ISSN: 1040-9289; 1556-6935
• DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2022.2078617

Research Findings: This review focuses on the use of robotics in early childhood education (ECE), addressing gender and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in young children's robotics learning. This review systematically evaluates, synthesizes, and displays the research designs, robotic toys, data collection instruments, research methods, and research findings of 15 studies related to this critical issue published from 1984 to 2021. The findings of the review indicate that children's robotics-based learning is impacted by gender and their socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Boys had a considerably higher level of enjoyment in interacting with robotics than girls. Furthermore, low-income families and low parental education resulted in poor robotics-based learning experiences and outcomes for children. Practice or Policy: It is significant to devote attention to developing effective and inclusive robotics education programs for girls and children from less advantaged backgrounds. More robotics education interventions should be conducted in broader contexts to benefit a wider range of children, especially those from a lower-SES background.