This study was conducted to determine the effect of a design thinking-based invention education program on the invention self-efficacy of fifth graders in elementary school. By analyzing prior research on design thinking-based invention education and robot-based invention education, along with the 2022 revised practical curriculum, a 6-session (or 12-session) program was developed. Following the design thinking invention technique, students identified transportation-related inconveniences they experienced in daily life and generated ideas using various invention techniques. The program was structured to provide feedback after students conceived and produced creative products using robot teaching tools. To assess how design thinking-based invention education using robots influences elementary school students’ invention self-efficacy, an invention self-efficacy test was conducted. The test tool measured factors such as invention self-confidence, invention performance confidence, and invention achievement expectation. The results of the study are as follows: First, the design thinking-based, robot-assisted invention education program had a positive effect on the promotion of invention self-confidence (p<0.001) and invention achievement expectation (p<0.001), both of which are components of invention self-efficacy. Second, no significant improvement was observed in invention performance confidence, another factor of invention self-efficacy. Analysis of the learner’s activity sheets revealed that there was no positive feedback exchange during the feedback process and that students encountered difficulties manipulating the robot teaching aid used in the study. The findings of this study serve as foundational data for the development of diverse invention education programs, demonstrating that such programs can enhance the self-efficacy of elementary school students, Additionally, the study contributes to the advancement of invention education programs aligned with the revised 2023 practical curriculum.