Boon or Bane: The Lived Experiences of the Robotics Club Members of Philippine School Doha at the Onset of Robotics

Abstract

Background. The advent of robotics has certainly changed the world. Not only did it influence the way people live their lives, it has changed the way teaching and learning have always been done. In this regard, the present research centers on the lived experiences of the robotics club members of Philippine School Doha. It focuses on how the members view the robotics club. By learning their insights, recommendations can be cited to mitigate problems related to robotics and cite recommendations to make the robotics club more relevant in this 21st century setting. Method. This qualitative paper made use of a phenomenological research design to understand the lived experiences and perceptions of the participants, specifically Robotics club members, relative to the central question: "How do robotics club members of Philippine School Doha perceive the offered Robotics program of the school?" Data were gathered using one-to-one interview that consists of twenty-five developmental questions and were analyzed using an inductive approach in theme development. Findings. Findings have shown that students perceive robotics and the robotics club as gateway for the many breakthroughs in life. There are, however, a few hardware and software issues present. Nevertheless, it is still critical in preparing the students for the challenges of 21 st century learning. Conclusion. The rise of robots from the early times up until now has undoubtedly brought great advancements in different areas, especially in the education setting. It is indeed a boon to students who are deeply immersed in technology. The robotics club would create highly-abled students who are imbued with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Recommendation. To fill the literature gap, this paper suggests to future researchers to further expand the pool of participants to elicit a wider range of responses.