In a context of accelerated technological advances, education faces the challenge of preparing pre-service teachers to integrate emerging innovations into their pedagogical practices. Artificial intelligence (AI) and social robotics represent significant opportunities to transform approaches to teaching and learning (Martinez-Roig et al., 2024). Specifically, they can promote active methodologies such as the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) model. In our case, we are working on a line of research with the social robot Pepper, a humanoid robot designed to interact naturally with humans (Pandey & Gelin, 2018). This robot offers an ideal scenario for exploring the application of social robotics in pre-service teacher training.

In general, the use of humanoid robots in educational environments has demonstrated its potential to promote interactive learning and student participation (Burdett et al., 2022; Song et al., 2023). However, in Europe their presence in education is still limited, especially in the training of future teachers (Ching-Ching et al., 2017). Research into Pepper and its integration into educational contexts is still in its infancy, but initial teacher training must incorporate experiences with emerging technologies, as these will influence the way in which new generations will learn in the future (Fortunati et al., 2015). This is why it is considered interesting to undertake research into this.

On the other hand, it is also necessary to address innovative methodological proposals in initial teacher training, such as the so-called active methodologies and, specifically, the PBL methodology with a STEAM approach (Holmegaard et al., 2012; Hunter, 2024; Vossen et al., 2020). In this sense, the social robot Pepper can help us to address this methodology as an object of study, taking into account that our methodology in the classroom should also be active. To do this, we will follow a teaching-learning process also based on an active model.

This study therefore focuses on analysing how social robotics can be a teaching resource in pre-service teacher training, with a specific focus on teaching the STEAM model. To this end, the following research questions are addressed: How do pre-service teachers perceive social robotics in the classroom when applied with active methodologies? How well accepted is the Pepper robot in an experience based on the STEAM model?

The study is being carried out in the context of a classroom experience with students from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alicante, in a curriculum design subject during the 2024-25 academic year. The research is being carried out with an interdisciplinary team made up of teachers from the pedagogical and technological fields, who design, implement and evaluate a teaching-learning situation with the Pepper robot. In order to obtain representative data, a mixed methodological approach has been chosen. Firstly, quantitative instruments are used, such as a pre-test and a post-test, with the aim of evaluating the initial and final perception of the participants with respect to social robotics and the use of Pepper in the classroom. These Likert-type questionnaires are based on the UTAUT model of technology acceptance, which makes it possible to measure students' predisposition towards the integration of technological tools in their teaching practices (Guggemos et al., 2020). In addition, qualitative techniques are used, such as the analysis of student reflections. The experience is organised into work teams distributed according to the STEAM disciplines, which facilitates a comprehensive approach to the use of robotics in the educational process. During the sessions, the students work in groups distributed according to the disciplines of the STEAM model: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The project to be carried out is decided democratically in the classroom. The Pepper robot acts in the classroom and its possibilities as a resource are analysed, both for university students and for primary school students. The students, following the STEAM model, approach this same model as an object of study and as a methodology for work. The aim of this project is to delve deeper into the digital transformation that the use of social robotics in the university classroom entails. The experiment is being carried out within the framework of a broader research project on the use of social robots in university education. The expected results are based on innovation in the use of these social robots to achieve a digital transformation in the university. To achieve all this, we must be aware of the need to modernise the classroom with the inclusion of new resources.

The results suggest that, in this emerging approach, students can actively participate in the design and development of activities, allowing them to directly experience the pedagogical potential of the STEAM approach and social robotics. On the other hand, the use of this robotics in education is considered as a new advanced technology, where benefits of this approach for the development of competences related to STEAM disciplines can be identified. Likewise, its effectiveness in promoting active and collaborative learning methodologies, characteristic of the STEAM approach, is noted. Finally, its significant contribution to the development of relevant pedagogical skills in future teachers, including curriculum design and technological integration in the classroom, is highlighted. This study concludes that social robotics represents a valuable resource for initial teacher training in STEAM methodology and offers unique opportunities for interactive learning, collaboration and professional development with the aim of applying this learning in the future classroom of teachers who are currently still university students. The integration of technology in education has opened up new avenues for innovative teaching methods using social robotics, which promise to transform initial teacher training. Finally, it should be noted that this research not only aims to contribute to the debate on the modernisation of the university classroom through the use of emerging technologies, but also aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4 of the 2030 Agenda. Through this study, we seek to strengthen initial teacher training and provide innovative tools that favour quality teaching and digital inclusion in the field of education.

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