Before and after the Lockdown: an analysis of the impressions of students and teachers involved in an Educational Robotics project

Abstract

The first Covid-19 lockdown period in the spring of 2020 had a very significant impact on the lives of Italian students. Distance learning suddenly became the only way to attend school. Students did not have the appropriate technological and emotional background to deal with instruments like computers and e-learning platforms, or sufficient knowledge and skills to handle the new teaching format, especially as it was the only option available. This paper looks at the PON “Coding and Robotics” project, which took place in the 2019-2020 school year and ended in the middle of the lockdown. Starting from the large amount of information gathered before, during and after the project from student and teacher questionnaires, and teachers’ reports and focus groups, we analyse the results of the survey administered to students and teachers to investigate how their behaviours and impressions about their education changed during the period of distance learning. It emerged from the analysis of 214 pre- and post-project responses that the students who had participated in the project felt their relationship with science and maths had improved and that some teachers found the project had provided a motivational boost for overcoming lockdown difficulties.