Augmented reality in the classroom: Investigating student engagement and teachers’ professional development

Sandra  Patricia Mina Herrera

doi:10.7273/000007923

Augmented reality (AR) is increasingly recognized as a transformative educational technology, offering immersive and interactive experiences that can enhance both student engagement and teaching practices (Che-Dalim et al., 2020). This five-chapter dissertation explores, in two manuscripts, two interconnected aspects of AR in education: (1) task engagement in AR-based learning activities and (2) teachers’ professional development for effective AR integration. The first chapter provides an overview of augmented reality (AR) and task engagement along with a compelling rationale for exploring the intersection of augmented reality (AR) and teacher professional development in AR. The first of two manuscripts is presented in Chapter Two, which is a focused study that investigates how AR supports task engagement by examining six key facilitators: authenticity, interest (relevance), social interaction, challenge, autonomy, and learning support. The findings reveal that while all facilitators contribute to engagement, authenticity, interest, and social interaction are the most prevalent in AR-based activities. These findings emphasize AR’s capacity to create meaningful, relevant, and collaborative learning environments, fostering deeper engagement among students. Building on the findings presented in Chapter Two, Chapter Three serves as a transition section to explain the limitations and lessons learned from the first study conducted, offering context for the systematic literature review proposed in Chapter Four. The second manuscript, in Chapter Four, is a systematic literature review that examines professional development models for preparing teachers to integrate AR into their instructional practices. The review highlights that hands-on, experiential approaches are the most effective, as they build technical and pedagogical skills, increase confidence, and inspire teachers to implement AR in their classrooms. Reported outcomes indicate that these approaches significantly improve teaching practices, facilitating the successful adoption of AR to enhance student learning experiences. By addressing both student engagement and teacher preparedness, this dissertation contributes to the growing body of knowledge on AR in education. It offers practical insights into optimizing AR adoption, with implications for designing engaging learning activities and developing effective teacher professional development programs to advance 21st-century education. The final chapter encapsulates the dissertation's contributions, emphasizing the importance of augmented reality in shaping the future of education and providing actionable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers.

Augmented reality in the classroom: Investigating student engagement and teachers’ professional development

Files and links (1)

Abstract

Metrics

Details