Exploring Parental AI Literacy and Perceptions of Robot Transparency in Educational Child-Robot Interaction

Abstract

As social robots become increasingly integrated into educational activities, it is essential to understand how parental AI literacy and perceptions of robot transparency influence children's learning experiences.This Work-in-Progress paper investigates two distinct robot personalities-Maximus (transparent, expressive) and Flexion (non-transparent, straightforward) to explore how variations in transparency affect parental perceptions in educational settings.Six parents participated in the study, evaluating the robots' communication styles and completing AI literacy assessments.Findings suggest that transparent robot behaviours, such as clear explanations and motivational feedback, enhance parental perceptions.This study represents a preliminary exploration; while limited by a small sample size, it offers important early insights into how transparency and parental AI literacy influence trust and acceptance.Future work will address these limitations by incorporating child perspectives, expanding participant diversity, and integrating adaptive robot behaviours.