The construction of drone models in schools

conceptions, challenges and potentialities

Abstract

This study analyzed the outcomes of an extracurricular drone‑construction project developed in a federal public basic education school in the Triângulo Mineiro region, examining students’ conceptions of the teaching–learning process in the involved school subjects. The study also identified the project’s potentialities and limitations. Action research was employed as the methodological approach, involving teachers from the areas of Chemistry, Physics, Electronics, Mathematics, and Programming, as well as five basic education students participating in a Scientific Initiation program. Data were collected through a questionnaire composed of four open-ended questions. The results were organized into three main dimensions: (i) challenges related to assembling and operating the drone in the school environment, including technical difficulties and structural constraints; (ii) students’ conceptions, highlighting how they related the project to curricular subjects and to the development of skills such as logical reasoning, creativity, teamwork, and problem solving; and (iii) the project’s potentialities and limitations, emphasizing its innovative, interdisciplinary, and engaging character, as well as obstacles concerning infrastructure, time availability, and teacher preparation. The findings indicate that drone construction projects can serve as meaningful formative experiences within the teaching–learning process, by integrating multiple areas of knowledge and promoting student protagonism. However, their implementation requires institutional support, adequate planning, and strategies to overcome the limitations identified.