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Children with Disabilities Engaging in STEM: Exploring How a Group-Based Robotics Program Influences STEM Activation

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Abstract

Children with disabilities encounter many barriers in engaging in science, math, and technology courses such as discriminatory attitudes and inaccessible classes, which can limit their educational and future employment opportunities. Helping children to foster an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines early on can help to expand their career options. This study explored how a group-based robotics program impacted the STEM activation among children with disabilities. Children (n = 33) aged 6–14 completed pre-and post-surveys to assess any changes in STEM activation. Our results showed that for most groups, children’s STEM activation scores increased from the beginning to the end of the program; however, these differences were not significant. It was encouraging to see that among the children who participated in the program more than once (n = 18), there was a significant increase in their STEM activation. Qualitative findings of children’s experience in the programs show that they liked building, programming, and learning about robots. These findings suggest that it is worthwhile to engage children with disabilities in STEM programs.

Résumé

Les enfants handicapés se heurtent à de nombreux obstacles lorsqu’ils veulent suivre des cours de sciences, de mathématiques et de technologies, par exemple à certaines attitudes discriminatoires ou encore à des salles de classe inaccessibles, ce qui peut limiter leurs perspectives d’éducation et d’emploi. Le fait d’aider ces enfants à s'intéresser dès le début aux sciences, aux technologies, à l'ingénierie et aux mathématiques (STEM) peut contribuer à élargir leurs options de carrière. Cette étude explore l'impact d'un programme de formation collective en robotique sur l’engagement actif envers les STEM chez les enfants handicapés. Ces enfants (n = 33), âgés de 6 à 14 ans, ont répondu à un questionnaire avant et après l'enquête afin d'évaluer tout changement dans leur engagement actif envers les STEM. Nos résultats montrent que pour la plupart des groupes, le niveau d’engagement actif des enfants a augmenté entre le début et la fin du programme; toutefois, ces différences ne sont pas significatives. Il est encourageant de constater une augmentation significative de cet engagement parmi les enfants ayant participé au programme plus d’une fois (n = 18). Les résultats qualitatifs de l’expérience des enfants dans ces programmes montrent qu’ils aiment construire, programmer et apprendre à utiliser des robots. Ces résultats suggèrent qu'il est utile et intéressant de faire participer les enfants handicapés à des programmes STEM.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the staff, students, and volunteers in the TRAIL lab for their support in this project, as well as the staff and volunteers of the HB FIRST® robotics program.

Funding

Funding for the HB FIRST® robotics program and the research was provided by Capital One and in-kind funding through the TRAIL lab. The first author holds a career award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

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  1. Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Sally Lindsay

  2. Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, ON, M4G 1R8, Canada

    Sally Lindsay, Kendall Kolne, Anna Oh & Elaine Cagliostro

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  2. Kendall Kolne
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Correspondence to Sally Lindsay.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study received ethical approval (REB #16-677) from a research ethics board at Holland Bloorview children’s rehabilitation hospital and the University of Toronto. Parents and children were informed of the study and given an information and consent form prior to their participation, and parental consent and youth assent were provided for children’s participation in the study.

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Lindsay, S., Kolne, K., Oh, A. et al. Children with Disabilities Engaging in STEM: Exploring How a Group-Based Robotics Program Influences STEM Activation. Can. J. Sci. Math. Techn. Educ. 19, 387–397 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-019-00061-x

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