Investigation of the studies on educational robotic applications in mathematics education

Mathematics has been indispensable in the development of societies and countries. Therefore, considering that the need for mathematics has increased in parallel with the development of science and technology, education systems and technologies should aim to increase the quality of mathematics education. The tools and materials used in educational activities are effective in increasing the interest and motivation of the students towards the course and ensuring their active participation in the course. For this reason, using technology in teaching will make the teaching more efficient and permanent by changing the negative thoughts that students have against mathematics. The aim of this study is to examine the robotic application studies in mathematics education in our country. The research consists of the data of 47 studies conducted in the world between 2002-2021 on robotic applications in mathematics education, accessed through Google Academic, Council of Higher Education Thesis Center, ERIC and Web of Science databases. In the study, systematic literature review method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Within the scope of the study, criterion sampling, which is a kind of purposeful sampling methods, was used, taking into account the purpose of the research. As a result of the analysis of the data, the contents of the studies presented by the databases were examined and the studies related to mathematics education were included in the research. 47 studies determined for use in the research were examined according to the criteria established by the researcher in line with the opinions received by two field experts. The information about the publications of the selected studies was analyzed and reported by descriptive content analysis technique in line with the criteria established by the researcher. It was concluded that the relevant studies were in the type of master's thesis, doctoral thesis and article and the research method was generally not specified, Lego Mindstorms, Lego Robot, other robot kits, Bee-bot, social robot were generally used as technology tools. In line with the findings obtained, it is recommended to disseminate and develop educational robotic applications in mathematics education and to include them in a planned manner by providing the necessary infrastructures within the framework of the curriculum in the education system.