Exploring Girls’ Narratives in Competition-Based Educational Robotics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived sense of comfort and belonging of girl participants, aged 15-16, engaged within a school-based offering of the Marine Education Advanced Education (MATE) underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) program (MATE-ROV). MATE-ROV is a competition-based educational robotics (ER) program that can offer experiences in the design, fabrication, and testing of an original ROV similar to what one would experience in relevant sectors of the marine industry. A qualitative case study design was selected to document and analyze participant narratives and explore their sense of belonging within the intragroup and intergroup contexts. With a purposeful sample of 5 (N=5), the study gathered data using a three-phased approach with data collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study sought to answer the overarching research question: How do experiences in educational robotics impact feelings of comfort and belonging for girl participants? Three primary findings emerged from this qualitative study. First, intragroup relationships foster a connected social identity that can support comfort and belonging. Second, a connected social identity does not automatically build a perceived expansiveness in comparable groups. Third, successful domain performance or effectiveness does not compensate for the potential impact of stereotype threat.