Chais2025_Heb_and_Eng-web

Doaa Saad, Igor Verner, Rinat B. Rosenberg-Kima 47E Teachers rated their perceived TK, TPK, and TPACK self-efficacy toward robotics activities on a scale of 1= "very low level" to 5= "very high level". Teachers’ TPK self-efficacy significantly increased. Likewise, teachers’ TPACK self-efficacy significantly increased. Although teachers’ TK self-efficacy improved, the difference was only marginally significant. There was a significant increase in both TPK and TPACK self-efficacy, while the improvement in TK self-efficacy was marginally significant. Teachers rated their anxiety levels when performing robotics tasks on a scale from 1= "very low" to 5= "very high". By the end of the program, anxiety levels significantly decreased. Nevertheless, while most of the teachers became more confident in encouraging student creativity, a few reported increased anxieties due to the interdisciplinary complexity of robotics integration. Teachers reported their attitudes toward using robotics on a scale of 1= "strongly disagree" to 5= "strongly agree". Teachers’ attitudes toward using robotics remained positive throughout the program, with a slight but marginally significant improvement by the end . Table 2. Self-efficacy, anxiety, and attitudes scores pre-and post the PD Pre Post P-value M SD M SD Self-efficacy Total TK self-efficacy score 2.85 1.50 3.35 1.02 0.071 Total TPK self-efficacy score 2.16 1.24 3.85 0.85 0.005 Total TPACK self-efficacy score 2.17 1.18 4.02 0.84 0.001 Overall anxiety level 3.13 1.56 1.83 1.01 0.012 Total attitudes toward robotics in STEM education 4.01 1.12 4.54 0.52 0.070 Conclusions This study identified 23 essential competencies for teaching STEM in middle school using robotics, categorized into three factors: (1) 21st-century skills, (2) scientific-technological content knowledge (including both the TPACK and TCK), and (3) non-scientific technological knowledge (including both TPK and TPACK). Interestingly, in an exploratory factor analysis the distinction between scientific (TCK & TPACK) and non-scientific knowledge (TK & TPK) was more influential than the distinction between pedagogical (TPACK & TPK) and non-pedagogical knowledge (TCK & TK). This suggests that teachers’ understanding of content knowledge plays a distinct role in their ability to integrate robotics into STEM education. Next, we implemented a Task-Centered PD, which included three tasks involving TPACK aspects and 21st-century skills. Findings show that this strategy positively impacts STEM teachers’ ability to engage in robotics activities, even without prior programming experience. The study demonstrates how this strategy supports the development of robotics competencies in STEM teachers. Moreover, findings indicated that this approach reduced teachers' anxiety and improved self-efficacy regarding robotics, aligning with Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (1999), by emphasizing personal control in behavioral change. Future studies should address this study’s limitations, including comparing a control group, using a larger sample, and assessing actual competence gains. In conclusion, this research identifies essential competencies for the integration of robotics in classrooms and suggests an approach to prepare STEM teachers to incorporate robots into their