AUGMENTED REALITY IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION: A META-ANALYSIS OF ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

This meta-analysis investigates the effectiveness of Augmented Reality (AR) in enhancing students' academic achievement in biology education. Synthesizing data from 17 empirical studies conducted between 2020 and 2024, and encompassing 625 students across primary, secondary, and tertiary education levels, the analysis reveals a significant positive effect of AR-based interventions. The overall effect size, calculated using Hedges’ g, suggests a strong impact of AR on academic performance, particularly in secondary education settings and when applied to cell biology topics. The studies reviewed highlight the versatility of AR, with applications spanning human anatomy, physiology, cell biology, biotechnology, and plant biology. AR tools, such as Anatomy 4D, VesARlius, Science Cards, and zSpace®, facilitated students' visualization of complex biological structures and processes, promoting deeper engagement, enhanced conceptual understanding, and improved learning outcomes. Despite the promising overall findings, the analysis identified significant heterogeneity (I² = 95.08%), suggesting considerable variability in AR’s effectiveness across different contexts. Moderator analysis confirmed that educational level and biology topic influenced the intervention’s success, with secondary students and lessons on cell biology benefiting most. Although publication bias was assessed and found to be minimal, the observed variability underscores the need for further targeted research. Future studies are recommended to investigate the interplay of factors such as AR application design, instructional strategy alignment, and student demographics in optimizing AR-enhanced learning. Ultimately, the findings suggest that integrating AR into biology instruction is a powerful educational strategy capable of improving students’ academic performance, especially when thoughtfully matched to content and learner needs.