Abstract:

The Robots Meet Arts Erasmus+ KA2 project (2023–2026) seeks to advance interdisciplinary pedagogical innovation by integrating educational robotics and computational thinking into Arts and Humanities curricula in primary education. This study reports on the design, implementation, and evaluation of the project’s pilot teacher-training programme conducted in the Imathia Region of Central Macedonia, Greece, involving 33 educators representing diverse professional profiles including primary school teachers, special education teachers, school directors, etc. Although most participants held permanent teaching positions, the cohort exhibited limited prior experience with robotics; 82% had never used robotics or programming in their teaching, only a limited number reported previous engagement with tools such as Bee-Bot, Edison, or LEGO WeDo 2.0. Self-reported familiarity was markedly low before the training programme. The training programme comprised eight structured sessions integrating theoretical input with extensive hands-on experimentation using age-appropriate platforms (Bee-Bot, Robot Mouse, Indi, Scratch Jr., LEGO SPIKE Essential, Vinci Robot). Activities foregrounded the project’s central aim of embedding robotics within storytelling, music, visual arts, and historical inquiry, while modelling inclusive pedagogical strategies. A collaborative design workshop resulted in curriculum-aligned lesson plans addressing diverse learner needs, including dyslexia, autism, sensory impairments, and refugee backgrounds. Evaluation findings indicated very high satisfaction with the training. Notably, participants affirmed the relevance of the training, rated the activities as highly practical, and strongly endorsed the quality of trainer support. Nevertheless, a few educators expressed lower confidence in independently implementing robotics-based activities, suggesting the need for extended practice opportunities and differentiated scaffolding. The study contributes empirical insights into the implementation of interdisciplinary robotics training in the Greek primary education context and proposes recommendations for scaling, including extended duration, experience-based grouping, and increased access to robotic equipment to support sustainable pedagogical integration.

Keywords:

Educational robotics, computational thinking, teacher training, Erasmus+.