Building an Autonomous Car: A STEM Teaching/Learning Sequence by Project-Based Learning for the Training of Future Secondary School Teachers

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, the use of STEM educational methodology in the classroom has been increasingly promoted, but due to the heterogeneity of approaches and the lack of knowledge on the part of teachers, it is necessary to accompany this process through the design and implementation of research-based STEM Teaching/Learning Sequence (TLS). This study presents the design of a STEM TLS for secondary school that integrates the disciplines of physics and robotics with a Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology and its implementation and evaluation with future secondary school trainee teachers. For this TLS students have to design and evaluate the programs for the mBot robot depending on different challenges related to kinematics. The impact of this implementation has been analyzed from the content and procedures point of view as well as focusing on the future teachers’ attitudes towards the implementation of the TLS. The results we got were overall positive, highlighting the change registered on their emotions when talking about the project topic.