Abstract:

In the final year of their study, nine undergraduate computer science students have chosen to delve deeper into computing education, with sixteen sixth-grade pupils participated in a STEM educational activity designed according to the principles of inquiry-based learning, culturally relevant teaching practices and educational neuroscience. The action attempted to explore the connection between theoretical education and its application in actual classroom conditions. In addition to the 4-week academic courses (lectures of about 16 hours) that they had already attended, undergraduate students participated in a workshop on educational robotics technologies (which they used for the first time), inquiry-based learning, culturally relevant teaching practices, and educational neuroscience. The workshop aimed to prepare pre-service teachers to teach in a multicultural classroom and use research-based approaches to engage students in learning computer science, according to the principles of educational neuroscience. The undergraduate students were then required to set up their teaching stations and utilize the skills they already knew and the new skills they learned at the workshop in real-time. With the help of the undergraduate students, four collaborative learning pupil groups were created. The goals for the undergraduate students were to use strategies such as cooperative learning groups, student-led research, and student voice during their sessions with the pupils. Pupils were tasked to create a solution to a problem identified in a fairy tale, which would lead to an alternative ending using Lego Mindstorm Robotics. Pupils had no previous experience with the robotics kit or task, letting the undergraduate students learn the knowledge their "students" possess and build on it. The pupils worked for an hour and a half while the undergraduates served as facilitators. The experiential experience was completed with the groups presenting and sharing their work in class.
In addition to observing both students and pupils, research was conducted to study the impact of the action on participants. The views of the parents of the 16 pupils and the pupils themselves were surveyed using two different questionnaires. Pupils were asked to express their opinions regarding the collaborative activity and the teaching methods. Results revealed that despite students having no prior experience in STEM education, they did not face any difficulties. They were delighted with their participation due to their active role in the project. Pupils stated that they i) intend to participate in similar projects in the future and ii) want to work with the same method. Parents expressed their enthusiasm for both their children's participation and the teaching methods. They undoubtedly stated that they wish their children had the chance to participate in similar projects in the future. Moreover, through two focus groups, the undergraduate students' views were explored. Undergraduate students shared their feelings and ideas in these groups. The findings highlight the need for an experiential learning experience for undergraduate students in conjunction with lectures to enhance their active involvement in learning. At the same time, the need to connect education-related courses with real-world conditions is pointed out so that undergraduate students' experiences would be richer and more authentic.

Keywords:

Educational Neuroscience, Culturally Relevant Teaching, STEM Education, K-12 students, undergraduate students, computer science.