Characterising computational and geometric thinking in pre-service Early Childhood Education teachers by playing with MatataLab

Abstract

This article aims to characterise geometric and computational thinking of future Early Childhood Education teachers through participating in a robotic problem-solving activity for 5-year-old pupils using MatataBot, MatataLab’s educational robot. The study, carried out during academic year 2022–2023, involved 42 early childhood education students from a Spanish university. The methodology was divided into three phases: in the first, the participants familiarised themselves with the robot; in the second, they programmed the robot to represent basic geometric figures; and in the third, they reflected on their learning and on the geometric aspects identified. The data obtained in the last two phases (gathered from observations and videos recorded by the authors during the implementation, from the reports the different groups of students presented, and from the videos they recorded of the development of their activities) were analysed qualitatively using the Didactic-Mathematical Knowledge model from the Onto-semiotic Approach and the categories of common errors in programming. Pre-service teachers demonstrated conceptual gaps in geometric properties, leading to errors in programming representations. It is concluded that, although educational robots can enhance the understanding of geometry, it is essential to address the previous knowledge of teachers and prepare them in both mathematical knowledge and in the use of technological tools, fostering comprehensive training that enables the improvement of teaching in Early Childhood Education.