Аннотации:
The dynamic spread of 3D printing technologies and open-source electronics prototyping
platforms has significantly enriched the diversity of instruments used within educational robotics
(ER) settings. An active, low-entry-level community offering ready-to-use libraries for a broad variety
of devices assists in the development of quite sophisticated projects. However, the flipside of the
coin is represented by the current research findings, which reveal that students’ interest in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects has declined across Europe, as manifested
in difficulties when approaching scientific topics and dealing with problems and phenomena studied
from a multidisciplinary perspective. Consequently, a significant percentage of youths are at risk
of social exclusion due to the direct relationship between low academic achievements and school
dropout. Moreover, learners lack guidance in applied and life-context skills, such as creative thinking,
problem solving, and collaboration, which highlights the need to introduce innovative pedagogical
approaches. In this context, the design thinking (DT) methodology was proposed to tackle the
problem. Originating in the development of psychological studies on creativity in the 1950s within
the educational context, DT is known to foster creative thinking, help develop empathy, promote
action-oriented actions, improve meta-cognitive awareness, contribute to problem-solving skills,
and enhance students’ imagination. The last point supports the students’ development of critical
thinking, social inclusion, teamwork skills, and academic performance. Thus, this paper introduces
a methodological framework combining DT with ER classes. First, to approach the problem, the
teachers’ survey data were collected and analysed to reveal the respondents’ level of integration
of the DT methodology into current school curricula. Then, the work focused on the application
of this framework in a learning experience by addressing the weakest points established and their
elaboration through the combined ER and DT classes in the context of secondary schools.
