Formation of time representations in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren through robotics

Markova Nadezhda Grigor'evna Doctor of Pedagogy Professor; Z.T. Sharafutdinov Department of Pedagogy; Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University Office 23, Nizametdinov str., 28, Naberezhnye Chelny, 423806, Russia, Republic of Tatarstan lenochka2291@mail.ru

Kudasheva Aleksandra Alekseevna Graduate student; Z.T. Sharafutdinov Department of Pedagogy; Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University Nizametdinov str., 28, Naberezhnye Chelny, Republic of Tatarstan, 423806, Russia anatskevich@gmail.com

Introduction

The problem of mastering time categories in preschool and primary school age is a multidimensional task due to the peculiarities of a child's cognitive development. As emphasized in modern literature, the corresponding representations are formed gradually, moving from a superficial perception of the sequence of events to an awareness of cause-and-effect relationships and abstract concepts (past, present, future).

At the same time, traditional methods of pedagogical influence are not always effective enough. In this regard, there is a need to search for "innovative approaches that would contribute to a more meaningful, structured development of the time category" ^{[18, p.241]}. One of the solutions is the use of robotics. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of robotics classes on the development of time representations in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren. Based on the set goal, the subject and the object of the study were determined. The subject of the study is the process of forming temporal representations in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren through robotics. The object of the study is the temporal representations of preschoolers and younger schoolchildren.

The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that:

1. The article systematizes the options for using robotic tools in the formation of time representations in preschool and primary school age children.;
2. The relationship between the skill of search planning and time representations in preschool and primary school age has been determined.;
3. The author's educational robotics program "Time Machine Travel" has been tested on an age sample of 5-8 years old.

Practical significance of the study:

1. It is revealed that robotics can be used as a tool for the development of temporal representations.;
2. It is determined that robotics classes make it possible to take into account the age and individual characteristics of children, creating a class structure with an optimal level of complexity for each age.;
3. The role of an adult in the process of developing temporal representations based on robotics classes is established, which consists in controlling cognitive processes through questions that provoke reasoning and help establish connections between robot actions and real temporal processes.

The main part

Theoretical approaches to the study of ways of developing temporal representations in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren

Russian scientists (E.V. Bochkina, M.I. Vasilyeva, L.M. Vekker, A.N. Veraksa, N.E. Veraksa, A.M. Leushina, E. R. Minibayeva, T.D. Richterman, A.I. Savenkov, E.V. Shcherbakova, and others) noted that the development of temporal representations in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren It is based on sensorimotor experience, visual-effective, visual-imaginative thinking. Learning occurs through practical activities: classes on the outside world ^[10], analysis of fiction ^[4], theatrical games related to interaction with the outside world ^{[2, 8, 11]}. The perception of temporary relationships begins with a subjective sense of duration, a change of states. Then the child learns to recognize the cyclical nature of events and relate them to specific units of measurement (morning, evening, tomorrow, yesterday). This process takes much longer, because in order to understand the cyclical nature of events, a child needs to allocate all time intervals sequentially and organize them in his thinking. E.V. Bochkina proposed a system for developing an understanding of the cyclical nature of time events based on the relationship between these ideas and the child's cognitive development. She believes that "understanding the connection between the past, present and future allows us to understand the general temporal sequence and structure knowledge about the cyclical nature of events" ^{[2, p.11]}. G.G. Shakirova ^[16] emphasizes that linguistic mediation plays a very important role: the development of temporal markers in speech contributes to a more accurate structuring of experience.

At the present stage of the development of children's education, robotics is one of the most effective ways to develop time representations. The use of robotics in preschool and primary school education makes it possible to transform the concept of time into a visual, interactive, experimentable phenomenon. Robotic devices are capable of reproducing programmed sequences of events, which allows children to observe processes in dynamics, draw analogies with actual life situations, and record chronological patterns. For example, programming a robot to perform tasks in a certain sequence has a positive effect on awareness of cause-and-effect relationships, understanding concepts such as "earlier" and "later". The gradual complication of programming tasks contributes to the development of the internal temporal structure of thinking, helping preschoolers and younger schoolchildren to move from simple observation to active modeling of processes. E.A. Zimareva and E.N. Skavycheva ^[7] It was determined that the use of constructors (LEGO "First Mechanisms", LEGO Education WeDo, UARO) contributes to the development of not only technical skills, but also cognitive abilities, including shrewdness, quick wit, resourcefulness, the ability to detect non-standard solutions, and also helps to realize temporal patterns.

The publications of T.V. Barakina, E.Y. Ogurtsova, and R.N. Fadeeva emphasize the importance of early familiarization of children with the basics of robotics, which is directly related to the formation of their time representations. The authors emphasize that the formation of interest in this area should begin at an early age, with a gradual transition from game forms to educational activities. T.V. Barakina ^[3] describes the stages of development of design skills, starting with the development of simple models and the gradual complication of tasks. Considerable attention is being paid to creating a system capable of supporting and developing children's motivation to study robotics, which is directly related to the formation of time representations. The transition from manipulative actions to project activities requires awareness of the sequence of steps, forecasting results, which has a positive effect on the development of ideas about time. A.T. Aznabayeva determined that the gradual passage of all stages of development of design skills in a playful way contributes to mastering the methods of construction, design, comparison, understanding the sequence of actions, developing the skill of forecasting results and understanding causality.- investigative links.

E.V. Kusyakova ^[9] describes the stages of problem solving in the process of developing design skills:

- setting technical tasks, planning work (children learn to develop projects step by step — from idea to implementation). This helps to understand the sequence of actions over time.;

- development of business organization skills, role allocation. "Teamwork helps to understand the concept of priority, duration, sequence of processes" ^{[9, p.28]}.

The author emphasizes the importance of following the algorithm of actions, as this contributes to the development of a correct perception of time and events occurring in a certain time interval. It helps to understand the interrelationship of events, to understand the causes and effects in a temporal context.

E.Y. Ogurtsova and R.N. Fadeeva identified the importance of oral reinforcement of the material that children learn in the process of developing design skills. They considered the technology of storytelling. E.Y. Ogurtsova suggested using the resulting figure or robot as the main character of the story, which describes the actions of assembling this model and the distribution of these actions over time. This technique stimulates thinking in a playful way, "helping children apply the knowledge gained in the classroom in practice" ^{[12, p. 23]}. A similar position was held by I.V. Suslonova ^[14]. She emphasized that describing the structure of classes with different robotic devices, as well as highlighting specific situations that promote the development of joint actions, are of great importance for the formation of time representations. In the course of working together, children master the sequence of steps, learn to take into account the chronological framework for completing tasks, adapt to changing conditions, and coordinate deadlines with partners in design and play. This helps not only to consolidate the material learned, but also to build trusting contact between all children.

A review of Russian literature sources has shown that robotics and robotics design is one of the most effective ways to develop temporal representations in preschool and primary school age. Russian scientists have identified the stages of developing design skills, the main tasks to be solved at each stage, and additional opportunities to consolidate the material learned based on storytelling or collaboration.

An analysis of research by foreign authors (F. Alnajjar, F. Carrano, R. Panadés, L. Pirborj, S. Shafigh, O. Yuguero, etc.) has shown that robotics plays a very significant role in the formation of temporal representations among preschoolers and younger schoolchildren. Interactive robots help children to master the concept of time through sensory and motor interactions, which increases the effectiveness of learning. However, it is necessary to take into account the ethical and legal aspects of the use of artificial intelligence in educational environments. For example, the research of L. Pirborj, F. Alnajjar, S. Shafigh is devoted to the use of humanoid robots and sensory games in the rehabilitation of children. This publication notes that preschoolers and elementary school students show a high interest in robots, which makes them effective learning tools. They can help to master temporal concepts such as sequence of events, duration. F. Carrano mentions the possibility of using robots to develop cognitive skills, including temporal representations. The scientist emphasizes that "interactivity and feedback from robots help accelerate the process of learning the concepts of sequence and rhythm in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren" ^{[19, p.5]}. They emphasize the importance of real-time monitoring, which is especially useful for correcting the educational process. L. Pirborj and F. Alnajjar summarize that "robotic systems can be really adapted to teach children the concepts of time through play and interaction, increasing engagement, improving cognitive skills" ^{[21, p. 107]}.

Based on a generalizing analysis of modern publications, Table 1 has been compiled, which describes the use cases of robotics in the development of time representations.

Table 1

Systematization of options for the use of robotic tools in the course of the development of temporal representations in preschool and primary school age children (compiled on the basis of ^{[1, 3, 7, 9-14, 19-21]})

The use of robotics in preschool and primary school education makes it possible to transform abstract concepts of time into visual, interactive, experimentable phenomena. Robotic devices are capable of reproducing programmed sequences of events, which allows children to observe processes in dynamics, draw analogies with actual life situations, and record chronological patterns.

It should be noted that robotics opens up many promising prospects in teaching preschoolers and elementary school students time categories. Through clarity, interactivity, and the opportunity to experiment with a sequence of events, children gain a unique experience that promotes awareness of temporal patterns. The use of robotic technologies not only increases the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition, but also develops cognitive abilities, which makes this method a very significant direction in psychological and pedagogical practice. It is important to take into account that the effectiveness of its use depends on a number of factors. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the age and individual characteristics of children (too complex tasks sometimes cause frustration, and excessively simple ones will not provide sufficient cognitive challenge). It is also necessary to organize the educational space in such a way that it stimulates research activities, encourages the search for new solutions, and has a productive effect on consolidating knowledge through practical experience. The involvement of an adult is also crucial — a teacher or parent should guide the learning process by asking questions, provoking reasoning, and helping to establish connections between the robot's actions and real time processes.

Research methods and methodology

Methodological basis of the research:

The cultural and historical theory of L.S. Vygotsky.

The theory of amplification of child development by A.V. Zaporozhets.

Theory of the formation of preengineering thinking in children of senior preschool and primary school age E.A. Zimareva, E.N. Skavycheva.

The study was conducted in the period from September 2023 to May 2024 at the Snailcenter LLC, Omsk. It was attended by 60 children of senior preschool age (5-6 years old) and 80 children of primary school age. The children were divided into 4 groups – 2 control and 2 experimental. There were 30 people in preschool groups, and 40 children in each group of primary school children. Classes lasted 2 times a week, lasting 35 minutes each.

The following diagnostic tools were used:

The methodology of A. Z. Zak "Diagnostics of the peculiarities of search planning development" ^[6].

The method of E.I. Shcherbakova "Diagnostics of temporal representations of a child" ^[17].

The choice of these diagnostic techniques is justified by the fact that it was important for us to identify the relationship between the level of development of temporal representations and the basic skill necessary for construction – search planning.

The diagnosis was carried out in two stages – in September 2023 (at the beginning of the study) and in May 2024 (at the end of the study).

The results of the study

The formative part of the study was devoted to working with children aimed at developing temporal representations through robotics. This work was carried out according to the thematic planning of the author's educational robotics program "Time Machine Journey", which is aimed at developing time representations based on the engineering and technical skills of children of senior preschool and primary school age. The program is based on working with a designer to solve problems related to the development of engineering and design skills (designing according to instructions, according to a scheme, according to a sample, according to specified conditions, according to a model and according to a topic) through various types of activities during the training session. In a playful way and with the help of a construction kit, students get acquainted with the chronology of the development of the Earth and the historical periods of people's lives. Children study the features of each epoch, recreate the objects of the surrounding world and arrange each of the periods with the help of a constructor.

Types of design activities used in the classroom:

1. construction according to the instructions (more than 20 steps of spatial instruction);

2. sample construction (a model of more than 20 parts in collaboration with a teacher);

3. Model-based construction (model with more than 20 parts);

4. construction according to specified conditions;

5. Schematic design (schematic model and image model: more than 20 parts);

6. Designing by topic (to build projects based on images; by design).

The very first lesson of the educational robotics program "Time Machine Journey" is dedicated to the age of dinosaurs. It requires providing children with the basic parts of the construction kit: a brick and a plate, a divider. The teacher must follow the rule of determining the dimension of details. This is necessary to comply with the age-appropriate principle, as well as to ensure that all the parts can be connected effortlessly. The main objectives of the lesson are to consolidate the numerical series, get acquainted with the time tape and form the skill of constructing a dinosaur head. At the same time, the vocabulary of children expanded: model, construction, detail, fastening, brick, plate, dimension, separator, width, length, dismantling. In the middle of the lesson cycle about the ancient world, children are invited to assemble a mini-model based on the proposed sample (see Figure 1). Below is an example of the first task from the lesson "Riddles of the parrot Quantum".

Task 1. The pets are lost! (the average execution time is 15 minutes)

Parrot Quantum is a true master of mini models! He loves working on them in his secret laboratory, but it seems he accidentally repeated some details. Now he needs your help!

Among the many repeated details, the prehistoric boy and girl lost their pets. Carefully study the models and some types of parts (1-10) for them. Find the repeating types of parts in both models. Choose those that occur at least 2 and no more than 4 times in each of the mini-models individually.

Fig. 1 Image of mini-models that need to be constructed

Fig. 2 The image of the parts from which it is necessary to assemble the model

When you build a mini-model, solve my riddle. The prehistoric boy's pet is not slow, not blue in color. The prehistoric girl's pet does not know how to jump.

We followed a similar pattern during all classes. After conducting a set of formative classes, we compared the results obtained at the beginning and end of the experiment.

In preschool groups, at the control stage of the experiment, the experimental group showed a positive trend in the level of development of time representations (E.I. Shcherbakova's method of "Diagnosing a child's time representations") increased by 39% relative to their results at the beginning of the experiment (Fig. 3). In the control group, the level of development of time representations increased by only 8%.

Fig. 3 Results of diagnostics of time representations in preschool institutions (method of E.I. Shcherbakova)

In the elementary school groups, we obtained similar results (Fig. 4). The only difference was that their initial level of development of temporal representations was higher. This is due to the natural development of these ideas at the age of 7-8 years.

Fig. 4 The results of the diagnosis of temporal representations in the DOE (method of E.I. Shcherbakova)

The children of the experimental groups, regardless of age, demonstrated an increased level of active vocabulary containing prepositions and time-oriented words, and the ability to determine time intervals on a time tape, annual calendar, and clock appeared. In the control groups, the children's vocabulary of time content increased slightly (there were no new prepositions for time designation, there were no new words in the active vocabulary), and it was difficult to determine time intervals on a time tape, clock, or annual calendar.

At the next stage of our research, we conducted a diagnosis of the features of the development of search planning using the methodology of A. Z. Zak. An important feature of this technique is that it can be used to identify children's ability to plan their actions step by step in the process of solving a problem. The skill of step-by-step planning is fundamental in the process of robotics and is closely related to the understanding of time processes. A comparison of the diagnostic results showed that in preschool groups, at the control stage of the experiment, the experimental group showed a positive trend in the level of development of search planning skills. The indicator of a high level of development increased by 41% relative to their results at the beginning of the experiment (Fig. 5). In the control group, the level of development of ideas about time increased by only 12%.

Fig. 5 Results of diagnostics of the search planning skill in preschool educational institutions (A. Z. Zak's method)

In the groups in primary school, we obtained similar results (Fig. 6). It is necessary to clarify that the initial results of children in primary school were better than those of children from the older preschool group. This is due to the natural development of these ideas at the age of 7-8 years.

Fig. 6 Results of diagnostics of the search planning skill in DOE (A. Z. Zak's methodology)

The children of the experimental groups, regardless of age, demonstrated an increased level of ability to determine the sequence of actions when solving diagnostic tasks. Note that in the situation of a "special mistake" made by the experimenter, they not only noticed the mistake, but were not afraid to correct the adult. In the control groups, this skill increased slightly in children.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we note that robotics opens up many promising prospects in teaching preschoolers and younger schoolchildren time categories. Through clarity, interactivity, and the opportunity to experiment with a sequence of events, children gain a unique experience that promotes awareness of temporal patterns. An empirical study has shown that conducting educational classes based on robotics has a positive effect on the development of time representations and search planning skills in preschool and primary school age. The use of robotic technologies not only increases the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition, but also develops cognitive abilities, which makes this method a very significant direction in psychological and pedagogical practice. It is important to take into account that the effectiveness of its use depends on a number of factors. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the age and individual characteristics of children (too complex tasks sometimes cause frustration, and excessively simple ones will not provide sufficient cognitive challenge). It is also necessary to organize the educational space in such a way that it stimulates research activities, encourages the search for new solutions, and has a productive effect on consolidating knowledge through practical experience. The involvement of an adult is also crucial — a teacher or parent should guide the learning process by asking questions, provoking reasoning, and helping to establish connections between the robot's actions and real-time processes.

The prospect for further research is to work with children of preschool and younger preschool age, based on programming robots and creating models with a motor. The purpose of this work will be: identification of the influence of programming actions on spatial representations of children aged 5-8 years.