Teaching in the Age of Educational Robotics and Chatbots

Educational technology is reshaping how we learn and teach, and two of its most striking expressions—educational robotics and conversational agents—are at the center of this book. Drawing on a systematic mapping of more than three hundred peer-reviewed studies, the first part traces how theoretical frameworks, research methodologies, and robotic kits converge to define the field of educational robotics. Beyond cataloguing trends, it uncovers how broader socio-educational contexts and discourses shape the way robotics is studied and practiced in schools. The second part turns to the fast-growing presence of chatbots in education, focusing on how teachers negotiate their professional identities in dialogue with these new digital interlocutors. Based on discourse analysis of real classroom experiences, it shows that the integration of chatbots is driven less by their technical features and more by the pedagogical stances, prior knowledge, and identities of the educators themselves. Together, these two perspectives reveal how physical and conversational technologies are transforming not only learning outcomes but also the very frameworks and roles through which education is understood today. This book invites researchers, educators, and policy-makers to reflect on how we teach in an age where human and machine increasingly share the educational stage.