ACCEPTANCE OF AUGMENTED REALITY VIA MOBILE DEVICES BY HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS IN PHYSICS PRACTICAL WORK

Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology with strong potential to enhance the educational value of physics lab work. However, its integration in higher education remains inconsistent, often hindered by students' limited prior experience and varying levels of acceptance. This study investigates the factors influencing students’ intention to adopt AR, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework. A comparative quantitative approach was applied to a sample of 756 undergraduate and graduate physics students, including 334 with prior AR experience and 442 without. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on validated instruments and distributed via Microsoft Forms. Results indicate significant differences between the two groups: students with prior AR exposure reported more favorable perceptions regarding its usefulness, ease of use, general attitude, and intention to adopt it. Structural equation modeling (SEM-PLS) confirms that perceived ease of use positively affects perceived usefulness, which in turn moderately influences attitude, the primary predictor of behavioral intention. These findings validate the relevance of TAM in explaining and predicting AR adoption in physics education and suggest that prior experience, while influential, is only one of several factors affecting the successful acceptance of AR in a university setting. Keywords: augmented reality, technology acceptance model, practical work, physics, higher education, intention