Neoliberal Perspectives on Consumer Culture in Robot-Mediated Learning Associated with STEAM

Abstract

This article explores the results of ethnographic research on the adoption of educational robotics in Brazilian schools. The analysis reveals how robotics transcends the neoliberal commodification of education, promoting collaborative and transformative learning. In public schools, resource scarcity led to innovation with recyclable materials, while private schools integrated robotics kits as a competitive advantage. This article aims to elucidate the arguments that support the relevance of educational robotics in schools and demonstrate how it can become an element that transcends the neoliberal logic of commodification in education, making it accessible beyond the wealthier classes of Brazilian society. It concludes that educational robotics should be seen as a tool for inclusion and innovation, rather than as a product of consumption.