Abstract Book of the 8th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Development and Evaluation of Interactive Review Chatbot to Enhance Understanding in Middle School Science Classes
Maria Suzune Oba
ABSTRACT:
This study introduces an interactive chatbot designed to help middle school students review science lessons and enhance their understanding and self-efficacy. Students often lose interest in science when their confidence and engagement decline, while high-achieving students effectively utilize prior knowledge during lessons. However, middle school students with lower academic performance are prone to feelings of inferiority, especially in traditional learning settings. To address this, we developed a chatbot that uses a friendly agent and multiple-choice quizzes to enable students to review prior knowledge interactively, reducing the risk of discouragement. The chatbot features (1) a welcoming and supportive interface, (2) a step-by-step learning structure tailored to small achievements, and (3) multimedia feedback to reinforce both correct and incorrect responses. Expert evaluations by in-service middle school science teachers confirmed its suitability for mid-to-low-performing students, highlighting its ability to create a judgment-free environment for knowledge review. Teachers also noted that integrating this tool into daily lessons, alongside verbal praise, could further strengthen students’ self-efficacy and engagement. Future work will involve implementing the chatbot in classroom settings to validate its effectiveness in real-world teaching scenarios. Additional research will explore how different chatbot designs and interaction styles impact students’ learning outcomes and emotional engagement.
keywords: interactive chatbot; middle school learning tools; science education; self-efficacy