CREATIVITY, EDUCATIONAL ROBOTICS AND FAMILY MEDIATION IN THE MAKER SPACE: AN EXPERIENCE WITH PARENTS THROUGH DESIGN THINKING

Abstract

This study investigates how the articulation between maker space, Design Thinking and family participation can constitute a pedagogical strategy capable of stimulating creativity and strengthening the family-school bond in a socioeconomically vulnerable context. This is a qualitative action-research study conducted with ten guardians of 5th grade elementary school students at a public school in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil, during Family Day at School, on April 25, 2026. Data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire, open-ended questions and participant observation. Results showed an overall mean of 4.54 and parental self-efficacy of 4.80 after scale inversion, indicating that guardians perceived themselves capable of teaching their children what they had learned. The findings reveal that well-mediated maker experiences have the potential to democratize creative practices in Brazilian public education.