Resumo:
Educational Robotics stands out as a pedagogical approach capable of enhancing com
puter programming learning and fostering student engagement in Professional and Tech
nological Education (PTE). This dissertation aimed to investigate, in a specific context,
the effects of using educational robotics on programming learning and on the engage
ment of students in an integrated technical course in Informatics. The methodological
framework adopted was a mixed-methods approach, grounded in Grounded Theory, in
volving weekly practical activities in which programming concepts were applied through
practices mediated by robotics. Data analysis was conducted using both qualitative and
quantitative methods, aiming to understand the engagement and technical knowledge of
the participants before and after the interventions. The results obtained showed, for the
group investigated, advances in emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement levels,
as well as improvements in technical programming skills. It is concluded that, in the
specific context analyzed, educational robotics proved to be an effective pedagogical stra
tegy to minimize learning gaps and promote an interactive environment conducive to the
development of these skills. Although promising, these findings should be interpreted
as indicative of the potential of Educational Robotics in similar contexts, considering
the particularities of the experience analyzed and suggesting the importance of further
studies to explore its applicability in different realities of Professional and Technological
Education.
