Abstract
There is limited research on how well in-service teachers can teach robotics, even though South Africa has formalised the Coding and Robotics curriculum. Most of the studies that have been conducted to date have looked at policy analyses, scoping reviews, and pre-service teacher training. This study sought to address this gap by investigating the perceived and enacted robotics teaching competencies required for effective implementation of the Coding and Robotics curriculum, as well as to explore teachers’ lived experiences in teaching robotics.
Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, a Robotics Teacher Competency Assessment (RTCA) instrument was developed, piloted and refined. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor analysis (CFA) resulted in a two-factor structure showing Robotics Content Knowledge (RCK) as the first factor, and a combined second factor structure encompassing Robotics Pedagogical Knowledge (RPK) and Robotics Pedagogical Content Knowledge (RPCK). The results showed that participants had moderate levels of Robotics Content Knowledge (RCK), Robotics Pedagogical Knowledge (RPK), and Robotics Pedagogical Content Knowledge (RPCK). The average RCK scores were slightly above the midpoint (M = 3.02, SD = 1.230), and the average RPK and RPCK scores were between M=3.06 and M=3.46.
The survey data from the RTCA were triangulated with semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. While participants expressed lower confidence in complex technical tasks, such as programming microcontrollers and debugging sensors, they also encountered challenges such as time constraints and insufficient resources. Most participants indicated that they take responsibility for continuously updating their knowledge and skills to improve their knowledge. A significant contribution of this study is the proposed Robotics Teaching Competency Framework, where teachers' RCK is intricately linked to a unidimensional framework that integrates RPK and RPCK, which is both informed by and reinforces teachers' content knowledge. This connection is what makes it possible for teachers to become better at teaching robotics as a whole, supported by systemic enablers such as continuous professional development, peer-learning communities, and sufficient resource provision. This framework provides a strategic blueprint for improving teacher capacity and expanding robotics education from pilot schools to long-term, system-wide implementation in South African schools. The study provides theoretical contributions by expanding the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to robotics education, methodological contributions through the development and validation of a context-specific tool for evaluating teacher competencies, and practical contributions by presenting evidence-based recommendations for professional development, mentorship, and equitable resource...