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About

Patricia Gouws is a dedicated researcher at the intersection of educational robotics, STEM engagement, and inclusive access to learning. Her work focuses on leveraging robotics to enhance mathematics and chemistry education, with a particular emphasis on community engagement and equity. Gouws is perhaps best known for her pioneering investigation into the effectiveness of Lego Robotics training on learner performance in mathematics (8 citations), a study that also evaluated the impact of a community project aimed at inspiring youth in science and technology. She has further advanced the field through a systematic review of educational robotics in chemistry education (4 citations), addressing a notable gap in STEM literature. A champion of accessibility, Gouws explores the role of translation into indigenous languages to broaden access to robotics education, and she has examined the barriers girls face in fully participating in robotics within South African communities of practice (3 citations). Her work on defining the place of robotics MOOCs in Open Distance e-Learning (3 citations) underscores her commitment to scalable, inclusive education. Through her research, Gouws is shaping a more equitable and engaging future for STEM learning.