Fostering primary school students' computational thinking with multimodal embodied interaction model in educational robotics courses: A design-based research.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Fostering primary school students' computational thinking with multimodal embodied interaction model in educational robotics courses: A design-based research.
Authors:	Yu, Liang¹ yuliang@swu.edu.cn, Zhang, Xinyue¹ 2943604570@qq.com, Sun, Meiqi¹ 835449505@qq.com, Wang, Jing¹ 854782383@qq.com
Source:	Educational Technology & Society. Jul2026, Vol. 29 Issue 3, p314-335. 22p.
Subject Terms:	Computational thinking, Cognition, Educational technology, Compulsory education, Abstract thought, Primary education, Multimodal user interfaces, Design research
Abstract:	Educational Robotics (ER) courses are widely acknowledged as an effective method for fostering K-12 students' Computational Thinking (CT). Previous teaching practices predominantly relied on unimodal visual instructional imitation and procedural task-based approaches. These approaches disconnect abstract computational symbols from embodied experiences and limit the in-depth development of students' CT. To address this challenge, the present study proposes and systematically validates the Multimodal Embodied Interaction (MEI) model through an integrated perspective that combines embodied cognition with multimodal theory. A two-stage experimental study was conducted in a primary school in Southwestern China employing Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology. Results indicated that, compared to conventional teaching models, the MEI model significantly improved students' CT skills, with especially notable impacts on higher-order thinking aspects such as abstraction, algorithms, and evaluation. The study also revealed that the model exerts a significant "protective effect" in maintaining students' attitudes toward CT. This research provides a theoretically grounded and empirically validated framework for deepening students' CT cultivation in ER courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Educational Robotics (ER) courses are widely acknowledged as an effective method for fostering K-12 students' Computational Thinking (CT). Previous teaching practices predominantly relied on unimodal visual instructional imitation and procedural task-based approaches. These approaches disconnect abstract computational symbols from embodied experiences and limit the in-depth development of students' CT. To address this challenge, the present study proposes and systematically validates the Multimodal Embodied Interaction (MEI) model through an integrated perspective that combines embodied cognition with multimodal theory. A two-stage experimental study was conducted in a primary school in Southwestern China employing Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology. Results indicated that, compared to conventional teaching models, the MEI model significantly improved students' CT skills, with especially notable impacts on higher-order thinking aspects such as abstraction, algorithms, and evaluation. The study also revealed that the model exerts a significant "protective effect" in maintaining students' attitudes toward CT. This research provides a theoretically grounded and empirically validated framework for deepening students' CT cultivation in ER courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	11763647
DOI:	10.30191/ETS.202607_29(3).SP09