Augmented Reality-Problem Solving Lab: Does It Foster Elementary Students’ Understanding of Submicroscopic Phenomena in Physics?

Electrical concepts are difficult for students to understand because they involve abstract concepts that cannot be seen with the naked eye, making it necessary to use technology to visualize submicroscopic levels of electrical concepts. One method that can be used to improve students’ understanding at the submicroscopic level is the PSLab-AR method. This study aims to examine the impact of applying the PSLab-AR method on students’ conceptual understanding at the submicroscopic level. The research method used is a quasi-experimental design with a Nonequivalent Control-Group Design. The sample consisted of 42 students (22 female and 20 male) divided into two classes. The instrument used was an essay test. Data analysis was conducted using a rubric to assess levels of understanding, N-gain, and effect size. The results showed that 41% of students using the PSLab-AR method improved their understanding to the highest level for verbal submicroscopic questions. In comparison, 54% of students increased their understanding to the level of scientific drawing for visual questions. Based on N-gain, the improvement in student’s conceptual understanding of verbal questions was in the medium category with an N-gain of 0.69, while for visual questions, the improvement was in the high category with an N-gain of 0.73. The effect size analysis showed values of 1.14 for verbal questions and 1.10 for visual questions, indicating that the impact of using the PSLab-AR method falls within the large effect category compared to the control class that did not use PSLab-AR.