Purpose: This study examines the role of voice-based (vs. text-based) educational robots in shaping students’engagement. By focusing on the cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions ofstudent engagement, it aimsto provide insights into how different interaction styles influence the educational experience.
Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods approach was adopted, comprising two studies. Study 1employed qualitative methods, including student diaries and group discussions, to identify the dimensions ofstudents’engagement. Deploying a structured questionnaire, Study 2 conducted quantitative analysis, including paired t-testsand Cohen’s d, to compare student engagement outcomes between the studied voice-based and text-based robots.
Findings: The results highlight how voice- and text-based educational robots shape student engagementdifferentially, identifying key hallmarks of students’ cognitive, emotional and behavioral engagement. Thecomparative analysis reveals that the voice-based robot is particularly effective in enhancing emotional andcognitive engagement, improving concentration, motivation and emotional connection through multisensoryand personalized interactions. In contrast, the text-based robot excels in supporting autonomous learning byfacilitating content review. Therefore, these robots promote behavioral engagement through differentmechanisms, revealing their role as complementary tools to create students’ holistic educational experience.
Originality/value: This study provides novel insights into the role of voice-based (vs text-based) educationalrobots in shaping students’ engagement. By combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, our analysesoffer novel academic and practical implications for the adoption of educational robots in shaping studentengagement.
Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2026. Vol. 37, nr 1, s. 141-164
Educational robots, Voice-based robots, Text-based robots, Student engagement, Educational experience