| Title: |
Educators' Perspectives on Working with a Humanoid Robot in a French Preschool Class for Autistic Children |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Garnier, Philippe (ORCID 0000-0003-2949-9418); Martel, Karine; Dachez, Julie; Audry, Pauline; Bourgoin, Pascal; Stawinski, Fleur |
| Source: |
Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. Jul 2023 23(3):163-174. |
| Availability: |
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
12 |
| Publication Date: |
2023 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education |
| Descriptors: |
Teacher Attitudes; Robotics; Technology Uses in Education; Foreign Countries; Preschool Teachers; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Students with Disabilities; Teaching Methods |
| Geographic Terms: |
France |
| DOI: |
10.1111/1471-3802.12588 |
| ISSN: |
1471-3802 |
| Abstract: |
Humanoid robots have shown to provide interesting perspectives for autistic children. Yet, few studies have looked at educators' point of view on the use of such robots in educational settings. This paper presents a case study of the use of a humanoid robot, NAO, in a French preschool class dedicated to autistic children. Our work focuses on the perspectives of the adults working with these children. We interviewed the professional staff about changes in their teaching due to the presence of the robot, about the effects on the pupils' behaviour, and about the collaboration between the special needs teacher, the special needs support worker and the operational specialist from the digital education department of the district academic head office. Four themes were identified: joint reflection and collaboration when working with NAO, working with NAO, impact of NAO on pupils, impact of NAO on adults. The professionals underscored the necessity of adopting certain attitudes, in particular, the most neutral facial expression possible, so as not to disturb the children's learning process. They were under the impression that the robot had a beneficial effect on the pupils in terms of learning and social skills, and that it facilitated collaboration among them. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2023 |
| Accession Number: |
EJ1383857 |
| Database: |
ERIC |