Vitalizing creative learning in science and technology through an extracurricular club: A perspective based on activity theory

A case study was undertaken in a junior high school that had won the highest award of the National PowerTech Contest in Taiwan. In the contest, students were required to create their own wooden robot (mechatronics project) in the morning and compete in the afternoon, in order to better avoid the intervention of parents and teachers in the process. The aim of the study was to realize how the after-school club operated to promote the motivation and skills in hands-on creation to win a national competition while advancing learning in science and technology. As a transition model of development, activity theory was used to examine how these developmental processes were structured. In particular, results showed that four major domain strategies were used in the science and technology club (STC): (1) to promote student engagement, (2) to transfer parents' attitudes, (3) to promote peer collaboration, and (4) to enhance expansive learning and creativity.