Simulators in Educational Robotics: A Systematic Review with Content Analysis

The integration of Educational Robotics (ER) into teaching and learning has increased in recent years. While several studies have described the design and use of simulators, no content analysis has systematically documented the features and contribution of simulators in ER. Therefore, a systematic review of eight databases was conducted. From 1200 retrieved articles, 89 met the inclusion criteria. The emerged articles comprised two distinct categories: (a) simulator framework studies—describing tools or platforms (54 articles)—and (b) simulator-based intervention studies—reporting empirical implementations (35 articles). Each article was analyzed by two independent researchers who recorded the design features of simulators, their domain of use, the educational level at which the implementation occurred, intervention characteristics, teacher involvement in the studies, and the skills they tried to promote. Findings showed that simulators were primarily designed for STEM education. Most operated in coding environments, used 3D visualization, and were freely available. Interventions were more frequent at the tertiary level, with fewer at primary and secondary levels. Many empirical studies that used simulators employed small samples in short durations, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Simulator-based practices were mainly linked to programming, problem solving, and computational thinking. Higher-order competences such as collaboration or metacognition were rarely addressed. Finally, most intervention studies reported either no or only moderate teacher involvement. This article aims to be a basis for researchers who study ER implementation and simultaneously serve as a basis for choosing, designing, and adopting ER simulators as teaching tools.