Enhancing Student Achievement and Motivation among Alpha Generation Learners through Augmented Reality Integration in Secondary Biology Education
Abstract
Educational technology can be helpful in acquiring the skills useful in participating in a technically advanced society. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also emphasizes integrating technology to enhance the educational experiences. Learners of the 21st-century alpha generation have more exposure to technology in their everyday lives. This changing learning landscape requires teachers to blend technology into teaching-learning spaces to dissolve physical boundaries of the classroom. Augmented Reality (AR), an immersive educational technology, has demonstrated potential to do so and to improve student engagement, comprehension, and motivation. Guided by this potential, the present study aims to explore AR technology integration in secondary-level Biology classrooms, with a particular focus on its impact on students’ learning achievement and learning motivation. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted, involving Class IX students from a CBSE-affiliated school in Khordha District of Odisha. The experimental group (n=61) received AR-integrated instruction using Unite AR and Visible Body applications, while the control group (n=53) followed conventional teaching methods. Data were collected through a self-designed achievement test by the researchers and a standardized motivation scale, analyzed with independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Karl Pearson correlation. Results indicated significant improvement in both learning achievement (t (112) = 13.5) and learning motivation (t (112) = 4.94) for students exposed to AR-integrated instruction. Additionally, a slightly positive but not statistically significant correlation (r (59) =+0.023, p=0.859) was observed between achievement and motivation in the experimental group. However, no significant difference in the impact on learning achievement and motivation of the experimental group in terms of gender was found. These findings advocated for AR technology integration in Biology education, emphasizing its potential to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and experiential learning.