The Use of Apps Based on Augmented Reality as a Tool for Teaching STEM Subjects in Compulsory Secondary Education

Augmented Reality (AR) as a resource in all areas of education is now a reality. Since the widespread use of smartphones, the number of AR applications has not stopped growing, and it has potential use in education. In this publication, we analyse the suitability of AR-based apps to teach STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) concepts in compulsory secondary education in Spain. The study includes a quasi-experimental design, with an experimental group and a control group, to demonstrate the benefit of this technology in the classroom. In addition, a pretest-post-test design was applied, consisting of a pre-test and a post-test knowledge questionnaire. A five-question Likert-type questionnaire was used with the students to measure satisfaction with the activity and the appropriateness of the apps. Our study found high satisfaction in all four cases. In addition, the Wilcoxon W-test revealed that three of the four experimental groups using AR significantly improved their academic performance, with case three being the only non-significant (p=.051). This publication is part of the Educational Research Project, “Improving scientific competence through augmented reality (EDUCYL2020-02)”, funded by the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León through the Dirección General de Innovación y Formación del Profesorado.