Supporting Intercultural Education with Social Robots: A Longitudinal Analysis of Children Behaviors in Group-Based Interactions

Abstract

The introduction of social robots in early education contexts faces a range of complex challenges, as robots must adapt to each setting's pedagogical principles, the diverse needs of children, and teacher involvement must be considered. We address these complexities by presenting a long-term, in-the-wild study aimed at introducing a social robot in early childhood settings to foster intercultural education, while actively involving teachers in the design and research process. The project involved 165 children aged 3 to 5 who interacted with the robot once a week for six weeks in their classrooms. The robot acted as a peer, designed to stimulate children's self-expression and curiosity toward different cultural perspectives. We used behavioral grids to measure relational, emotional, and intercultural dimensions of children's observed behaviors during interactions with the robot. Results show that behaviors related to openness toward peers and the sharing of personal identity emerged over time and were correlated with participation in the activities proposed by the robot. Thanks to its strong methodological framework, this study's main contribution is its adaptability and reproducibility, even across different educational contexts.