STEM Learning Through Drones: A Pedagogical Approach for Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Drones have emerged as powerful educational tools, offering students diverse ways to learn and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in STEM education. Drones are framed within real-world contexts, showcasing their applications in multiple industries. Drones offer the possibility to be used to teach programming and coding that promote computational and critical thinking. This research paper presents a pedagogical approach that combines the use of drones with inquiry-based learning to foster students' intellectual, creative, and technical abilities, enhancing their understanding of real-world scenarios and their capacity for critical thinking and problem-solving. The study was conducted in top-end schools in Northern Australia. The findings indicate that engaging in drone coding exercises within authentic bushfire scenarios offers an ideal environment for STEM education, enhancing students' critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.