The effect of artificial intelligence assisted robotic coding teaching on students' design thinking and problem solving skills

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into everyday life requires the continuous updating of skills such as problem solving, design, coding, and artificial intelligence literacy in educational programs. While these skills are emphasized in national and international programs, findings on the effects of robotics coding applications that include artificial intelligence education at the K-12 level are limited. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of AI-supported robotic coding education on middle school students' design-oriented thinking and problem-solving skills in the context of information technology and software courses. The study was conducted using an explanatory sequential mixed design. The participants in the study were 73 students in the 6th grade of a public middle school. In the experiment-1 and experiment-2 groups, AI-supported robotic coding instruction was applied using a design-oriented thinking approach. In the control group, AI-supported robotic coding instruction was continued in line with the existing program. In the quantitative dimension of the research, a pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental design was used. Data collection was conducted using the "Design-Focused Thinking Skills Scale" and the "Problem Solving Inventory for Children" developed within the scope of the research. In the qualitative dimension, a phenomenological approach was adopted; data were collected from the experimental groups using semi-structured "Student Interview Forms" and "Reflective Thinking Forms." The collected data were analyzed using content analysis and reported in themes. The findings showed that there were significant differences between the groups in terms of design-oriented thinking and problem-solving scores in the post-test. It was observed that both experimental groups significantly outperformed the control group, but there was no significant difference between the experimental groups. A moderate positive and significant relationship was found between design-oriented thinking and problem-solving skills. No significant differences were found in the design-oriented thinking and problem-solving scores of the experimental groups according to gender. Qualitative findings revealed that students found design-oriented thinking to be empowering in terms of empathy and idea generation, and that artificial intelligence activities (especially visual recognition and block-based applications) were fun and accessible. In contrast, it was found that students experienced difficulties in the prototyping and testing stages due to time and technical limitations. In conclusion, AI-supported robotic coding instruction at the middle school level has led to meaningful improvements in design-oriented thinking and problem-solving skills. The importance of pedagogical designs that consider both the affective-social components of design-oriented thinking and the technical skill dimension of AI has been highlighted. In light of the findings revealed by the research, recommendations that will contribute to the improvement of educational processes have been presented to researchers and educators in the field.