The impact of augmented reality-assisted structured learning on environmental education for preschool children

Environmental education in preschool plays a crucial role in achieving several of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by fostering young children’s early awareness, sustainable habits, and eco-conscious attitudes. However, implementing this education through traditional teaching methods is challenging due to the complexity of abstract concepts and a lack of the interactivity and engagement needed to meet the diverse needs of preschool children. This study proposed an Augmented Reality Mobile Game-Based Learning (ARM-GBL) approach with physical play to enhance preschool environmental education based on Mayer’s Selection-Organization-Integration (SOI) model. To examine the impact of ARM-GBL on preschool children’s socio-emotional collaboration and learning performance, a true experimental design was employed. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: 13 in the ARM-GBL group and 14 in the Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL) group. Results showed that ARM-GBL significantly enhanced socio-emotional skills, such as teamwork and empathy, through collaborative and interactive loose parts play. Furthermore, the ARM-GBL group outperformed the DGBL group in learning performance, achieving better retention of environmental concepts and improved accuracy in tasks such as waste sorting. This research highlights the transformative potential of ARM-GBL by integrating AR technology with structured instructional frameworks and physical play. ARM-GBL effectively addresses both cognitive and socio-emotional developmental needs, offering an engaging and impactful approach to environmental education for preschool children.