A Framework for Educational Robotics in Kindergarten

This systematic review defines a framework for educational robotics in kindergarten. The authors performed their search in online databases via keyword search and snowball sampling. At the end of the process, they analyzed 46 papers. In-depth analysis of them has led to the identification of a four dimensions framework: (1) design and execution of robotics curricula: most of them us programmable floor robots, like Bee-Bot, but also more sophisticated tools, like KIBO, and tend to be created from scratch, often designed and carried out by researchers directly; (2) design and implementation of the research studies: a balance among adopted research methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed), non-experimental, collected by observations, tests, and interviews; (3) outcomes on the participants’ skills: other than technical skills, also investigating the impact on soft and cognitive skills, learning engagement, and emotions; (4) the gender dimension: around one in five papers investigated it.