Early childhood teachers’ perceived benefits, enablers, and barriers of robot programming: Developing a digital empowerment policy framework

Educational robotics can enhance playful learning in early childhood, but integration faces challenges in regions like Hong Kong. This qualitative study explores early childhood teachers' perceptions of a Story-Inspired Robot Programming (SIRP) curriculum through Activity Theory, based on interviews with 22 teachers after eight weeks of implementation. Teachers noted significant improvements in children's engagement and computational thinking, as well as their own professional development. Key enablers included age-appropriate robots and administrative support, while barriers like limited teacher confidence and increased workload were identified. Based on the findings, an ecosystem-driven policy framework is proposed for early childhood teachers' digital empowerment. • Teacher views on pros and cons of early childhood robot programming are reported. • Activity Theory is used as a lens for qualitative data analysis and interpretation. • Evidence reveals enablers and barriers in the activity system. • A digital empowerment policy framework is proposed for early childhood workforce.