Monitoring Gender Participation with Augmented Reality represented Chemistry Phenomena and Promoting Critical Thinking

Abstract

Currently, augmented reality (AR) is considered as cognitive tool having ability for pedagogical applications to add a part of lack experiment when the phenomenon cannot be imitated in reality. This study aims to investigate effect of AR in chemistry learning regarding gender and design how to use AR for promoting students’ critical thinking. In this pilot study, 90 eleventh-grade students in northeastern region of Thailand were recruited to participate with a series of AR represented chemistry phenomena. They were measured perception toward AR technology as pretest and posttest by 21-item perception questionnaire. The results founded that the perception of females and males to ward mobile augmented reality (AR) was detected that there was no significant difference between genders in fostering their perceptions to learn chemistry with mobile AR. Both males and females have positive perceptions in chemistry learning experience of acid-based interaction with mobile AR. This evidence implied that learning chemistry with AR could make science more approachable and meaningful for student. As such, the researchers present a proposed instructional strategy of chemistry learning with AR through model-based inquiry process for promoting students’ conceptual understanding in chemistry and critical thinking. We believed that the AR-oriented model-based inquiry learning environment could improve the way student learning of chemistry and engage them to criticize and think about natural phenomena meaningfully.