Augmented Reality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education: A Meta‐Analysis

ABSTRACT Background Educational technology holds considerable importance in contemporary education as it enhances instructional techniques, elevates learning achievements and promotes sustainability. Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes virtual objects onto the real‐world environment in real‐time. Objectives The aim of the present meta‐analysis is to investigate the collective effect of AR on STEM disciplines, as prior studies have primarily concentrated on science subjects and general educational themes. Methods The researchers conducted a literature search using three databases, namely Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Scopus, following the PRISMA protocol. This process yielded a total of 22 studies and involved 2215 participants. The researchers utilised standardised mean differences (SMD) along with 95% confidence intervals in conjunction with R software packages to calculate the effect size. Results The findings reveal significant large effects of AR on academic achievement in STEM courses (ES = 1.19, 95% CI [0.75, 1.63], p < 0.001), as well as significant moderate effects on thinking skills (ES = 0.73, 95% CI [0.36, 1.11], p < 0.001) and learning motivation (ES = 0.75, 95% CI [0.28, 1.23], p < 0.01). Subgroup analysis indicates that no significant differences based on education level or gender was observed. Conclusions A noteworthy implication is that investigating this effect has the potential to significantly enhance academic achievements, particularly within the STEM disciplines.