This article presents the results of a systematic literature review followed by a meta-analysis of studies on the use of Augmented Reality (AR) in the teaching and learning of Natural Sciences and Biology, among primary and secondary school students. The variables considered were the effects on student learning and motivation, as well as other variables like students understanding and students’ perception of the cognitive load. The teaching contexts and strategies used in association with AR were also considered. The PRISMA methodology was used in articles published between 2010 and 2023, in EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, Taylor & Francis and Web of Science databases. Seven hundred and twenty-one articles (721) were found, which, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were reduced to 15. The results showed that, in most studies, AR associated with certain teaching strategies and using a quasi-experimental research methodology produced better results in learning and student motivation and other variables such as student understanding and memorization (from Bloom's taxonomy), and perception of cognitive load. The overall analysis of the data allowed us to observe a strong effect size value (d = 1.13 [0.39;1.86]) in favour of the experimental group regarding learning and a moderate effect on motivation when using AR (d = 0.52 [0.30;0.74]). The same occurred with other variables studied where students obtained better results, which translated into a small or medium effect size. For example, in the perception of cognitive load, the effect size was d= 0.73. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-04-025 Full Text: PDF

This study investigated the impact of two teaching strategies, conventional and drawing principle, associated with the use of Augmented Reality (AR), on the school performance of pupils in the 7th-year of primary school and the 10th-year of secondary school on volcanism learning. Compared to previous research, the novelty of this study lies in the comparative analysis of these two teaching strategies and their association with AR applications. Four classes from the 7th-year and two from the 10th-year were studied, following a quasi-experimental design, with two control classes and two experimental classes in the 7th-year, and one control class and one experimental class in the 10th-year. The Classical Theory of Tests was applied to analyse the evidence of knowledge evaluation on volcanism, used in all groups in post-test and follow-up. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Student’s t-test, were conducted for paired and unpaired groups after determining the normality and homogeneity of variance of the samples. In the 7th-year, students who used the drawing principle as a learning strategy performed better compared to those who used conventional teaching. When the drawing principle was associated with the use of AR, students achieved better results in the follow-up test. In 10th-year students, the results consistently showed better performance when the conventional teaching strategy was associated with the use of AR.

This study investigates the effectiveness of using augmented reality (AR), combined with guided inquiry and the Pecha Kucha technique, on students’ academic outcomes when learning meiosis. The main objective was to analyse whether this combination presents significant differences in the academic performance of students in the experimental group (EG) compared to the control group (CG), who did not use AR. The research employed a quasi-experimental design involving three 11th-grade classes from a secondary school in Lisbon. Knowledge tests were administered post-intervention and at follow-up to assess the impact. To ensure the normality of the distributions, a Shapiro–Wilk test was applied and, to guarantee the homogeneity of variances, a Levene test was utilised. Independent and paired sample t-tests were performed. The results indicated that the innovative approach, combining AR with guided inquiry and Pecha Kucha, enhanced student engagement and led to improved academic performance. The study highlights the importance of teacher support during guided inquiry, showing that proper guidance maximises learning outcomes. Findings suggest that integrating active methodologies and current technologies can enrich Biology teaching and improve understanding of complex concepts like meiosis. This research contributes to existing literature by demonstrating the potential of AR, guided inquiry, and the Pecha Kucha technique in enhancing educational outcomes.

This article presents the results of a systematic review of the literature regarding the effects of using Augmented Reality (AR) on the learning of science students (Natural Sciences and Biology). The PRISMA methodology was used. Ten articles were selected from indexed journals, in a period of time between 2010 and 2022, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The main inclusion criteria were: only articles with students from Basic and Secondary Education (equivalent to ISCED 2 and 3) and that report results in students’ learning. The main exclusion criteria were: duplicate articles and those that did not present a teaching strategy associated with the use of AR. The databases consulted were Scopus, ScienceDirect, Springer Link, EBSCO and Web of Science. Eight out of ten of the selected articles used an experimental methodology. The results indicate that AR had positive effects on students’ learning and motivation, as well as on other variables such as visuospatial skills and student involvement in tasks.

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma revisão sistemática da literatura sobre os efeitos da utilização da realidade aumentada (RA) na aprendizagem dos estudantes de ciências (Ciências Naturais e Biologia) do 3.ºciclo do ensino básico e do ensino secundário. Foi utilizada a metodologia PRISMA, tendo sido selecionados 10 artigos de revistas indexadas, num período de tempo entre 2010 e 2022. As bases de dados consultadas foram Scopus, ScienceDirect, Springer Link, EBSCO e Web of Science. A maioria dos artigos selecionados (n=8), após a aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, utilizou uma metodologia experimental. Os resultados indicam que a RA teve efeitos positivos na aprendizagem e motivação dos estudantes, bem como noutras variáveis como as competências visuoespaciais e o envolvimento dos estudantes nas tarefas de aprendizagem.

The evaluation of student performance often relies on basic spreadsheet outputs that provide limited insight into item functioning. This study presents a methodological demonstration showing how widely available spreadsheet software can be transformed into a practical environment for psychometric analysis. Using a simulated dataset of 40 students responding to 20 dichotomous items, spreadsheet formulas were developed to compute descriptive statistics and Classical Test Theory (CTT) indices, including item difficulty, discrimination, and corrected item–total correlations. The demonstration was extended to Item Response Theory (IRT) through the implementation of 1PL, 2PL, and 3PL logistic models using forward-calculated item parameters. A smaller dataset of 10 students and 10 items was used to illustrate the interpretability of the indices and the generation of Item Characteristic Curves (ICCs). Results show that spreadsheets can support teachers in in-terpreting test data beyond total scores, enabling the identification of weak items, refinement of distractors, and construction of small-scale item banks aligned with competence-based curricula. The approach contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by promoting accessible, equitable, and high-quality assessment practices. Limitations include the instability of IRT parameter estimation in small samples and the need for teacher training. Future research should apply the approach to real classroom data, explore automation within spreadsheet environments, and examine the integration of artificial intelligence for adaptive assessment.