Robotics is needed as education keeps up with challenges students are facing in a technological environment. A long-term research project focuses on developing a feasible robotics-based learning environment that enables primary school teachers to introduce computer science education. This paper shows educational robotics combining storytelling to promote computational thinking through the method of Tell, Draw, and Code. The study was conducted via pre–post test, using the Beginners Computational Thinking test (BCTt), with third and fourth graders (N = 40) to determine if the integration of robotics-based storytelling activities enhances computational thinking skills. Results show that an increase in computational thinking is evident after the intervention is implemented. The approach of combining stories, texts, and literature with educational robotics seems to be a promising concept to equip students with the required skills.

The spread of AI text generators such as ChatGPT in education has reached an enormous reach in a short period, which has led to various questions regarding the acceptance of artificial intelligence among teachers and student teachers. This study examines the acceptance of AI among teachers and student teachers. In particular, it considers crucial aspects for planning teaching and teacher training. The results show that despite fundamentally positive attitudes towards AI applications, there are concerns regarding data ethics and legal standards. The correlation between the intention to use AI and trust in AI is significant. The findings should help gain a more comprehensive understanding of the acceptance of AI in the education sector and help teachers plan training and further education accordingly.

The use of AI text generators in education has increased significantly in recent years, with ChatGPT being one of the fastest growing AI text generators. This development raises questions about the acceptance of AI applications by teachers and student teachers. This article examines the acceptance of AI in the educational context and uses established technology acceptance models to explore the use of and attitudes towards AI applications. An AI acceptance model was developed and an associated survey of school teachers and student teachers was conducted, with 842 respondents from Austria. The results show that while participants see potential in the use of AI, they also express concerns about data ethics and legal standards as well as data transparency.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) models have grown increasingly popular among pre-service teachers (PSTs) and have become their constant companions, primarily assisting them in scientific writing. This article presents a study that investigates the differences and benefits of GenAI in the scientific writing process. Essays generated by GenAI were compared with those written by pre-service teachers (N = 39). The results of the criticism-led evaluation demonstrate that AI-generated texts perform significantly better, particularly in logic and fluency. In addition, most PSTs perceive generative AI beneficial in various phases of the writing process. The findings highlight the potential of GenAI as a useful tool in higher education, but also raise questions regarding academic integrity and critical thinking.

This Research to Practice Full Paper presents the development of a robotics-based learning environment using an educational design research approach. Contemporary teaching should prepare learners for everyday and working life, suggesting that this can only be achieved by implementing Digital Education from primary education onwards. Since computer science education is planned to be anchored in the Austrian primary school curriculum as an interdisciplinary competence development, research into teaching methods and content suitable for this area is becoming increasingly necessary. In this context, the transfer of innovations and didactic approaches into teaching is one of the biggest challenges. Introducing coding and robotics would be a possible strategy. Educational robotics provide access to real-world scenarios and offer age-appropriate possibilities to explore digital aspects of living and working environments. Combined with narrative methods, such as digital storytelling, problem-solving skills could be developed. Since the implementation of computer science in primary education requires practical and theoretical knowledge, an educational design approach is used that takes this aspect into account and allows close interaction between researchers and practitioners. This paper focuses on investigating a feasible and effective robotics-based learning environment for developing and supporting problem-solving skills at primary school using the learning and teaching method digital storytelling. Hence, the development of the learning environment and the didactic approach gained from qualitative results of interviews and observations from the first cycle of the research project are presented, providing plausible arguments for further implementing this robotics-based learning environment.