Abstract

Preschool children (aged 5–6 years) in Singapore learn science by discovering, inquiring, and investigating things that interest them in their daily lives. One approach involves learning science through building and exploring robots based on the Artec robotics curriculum, developed by an established Japanese education provider, Artec Co., Ltd. This paper presents the findings from a research project that aimed to observe and identify the learning of a group of six preschool children (5 years) in science through an hour-long Artec robotics lesson, The Catch of the Day; this involved building a robotic fishing rod that mimics a real fishing rod. In terms of learning outcomes, the preschool children built, explored, and examined the science concepts and principles behind a real fishing rod by exploring the robotic version. This qualitative and quantitative research incorporates the research methods of documentary analysis and classroom observation. The results indicate that through the inquiry and investigation of the robotic fishing rod, the preschool children discovered the science concepts and principles of the spool, reel, and handle. The children learned that each fishing rod has a reel-to-reel fishing line to catch a fish. The preschool children observed that the reel’s handle and spool were connected by the spool’s gears, and upon turning the handle, the spool would spin to reel in the fishing line. The study demonstrates that it is productive for preschool children to learn science concepts and principles by building, exploring, and examining robots. The Artec robotic curriculum comprises various robotic themes for children to learn science and is a useful learning platform for preschool children in Singapore.

摘要

新加坡的学龄前儿童（5-6 岁）通过发现、探究和研究日常生活中感兴趣的事物来学习科学。一种方法是通过基于 Artec 机器人课程构建和探索机器人来学习科学，该课程由日本知名教育机构 Artec Co., Ltd. 开发。本文介绍了一个研究项目的结果，该项目旨在观察和识别机器人的学习情况。由六名学龄前儿童（5 岁）组成的小组通过长达一小时的 Artec 机器人课程《当天的捕获》学习科学；这涉及到建造一个模仿真实钓鱼竿的机器人钓鱼竿。在学习成果方面，学龄前儿童通过探索机器人版本来构建、探索和检验真正钓鱼竿背后的科学概念和原理。这种定性和定量研究结合了文献分析和课堂观察的研究方法。结果表明，学龄前儿童通过对机器人钓鱼竿的探究和研究，了解了线轴、卷线轮和手柄的科学概念和原理。孩子们了解到，每根钓鱼竿都有一根卷轴到卷轴的钓鱼线来钓鱼。学龄前儿童观察到，渔线轮的手柄和线轴是通过线轴的齿轮连接的，转动手柄，线轴就会旋转，将鱼线卷起来。该研究表明，学龄前儿童通过建造、探索和检查机器人来学习科学概念和原理是富有成效的。