A robot game lifted girls' interest in programming
HelpedThe short version
Girls who programmed a robot rated their interest higher than other girls.
- 96
- six-year-old children in the US
- Randomised
- groups picked at random
- Self-rated
- people rated themselves
The study
Who took part
96 six-year-old children, 48 of them girls, tested one at a time in a lab in the US. Most were White and from middle-class or richer families.
What they did
One group programmed a pet robot on a smartphone for 20 minutes. The other two groups had one 20-minute session each: a storytelling card game, or no activity.
What happened
Straight after the activity, girls who programmed the robot rated their programming interest and robot confidence higher than the other girls. Their interest in robots was not clearly higher. Boys' ratings did not differ clearly between groups.
What the study found
- Helped
Girls who programmed a robot rated their interest higher than other girls.
Small randomised trial of 96 six-year-old children in the US · vs girls who told stories or did nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show
- Helped
Girls who programmed a robot for 20 minutes rated their robot confidence higher than other girls.
Small randomised trial of 96 six-year-old children in the US · vs girls who told stories or did nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show
- No difference
Girls who programmed a robot did not rate their interest in robots higher than other girls.
Small randomised trial of 96 six-year-old children in the US · vs girls who told stories or did nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show
How solid is this?
- Groups picked at random
- Small group
- People rated themselves
- Summary claims more than the results show
Source
Programming experience promotes higher STEM motivation among first-grade girls (2017)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.03.013 (opens in a new tab)
