Abstract
Constantly changing technology has an undeniable impact on diverse global educational settings. As new curricula, education standards, and learning technologies evolve, it becomes imperative that pre-service teachers (PSTs) are prepared through their own learning experiences for the use and integration of advanced learning technologies (ALT) in all school subjects and Natural Sciences (NS) as is the case of this study. The study investigated third-year pre-service NS teachers’ experiences of Virtual and Augmented Reality (VAR)-enhanced inquiry-based learning of NS concepts. A design-based research (DBR) approach, which integrates mixed-method research parameters for collecting and analysing data, was employed. Thirty-two (n=32) PSTs were conveniently selected from a teacher education programme at a South African university to participate in the study. Natural Science (NS) content tests and the perception of engagement (PES) survey were used for collecting quantitative data, while qualitative data gathering was characterised by fieldnotes, semi-structured individuals, and focus group interviews during and after different iterations of VAR-enhanced NS inquiry learning. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from data analysis of the adapted PES revealed a positive shift in participants’ perception of engagement in VAR-enhanced learning and content test achievement scores from pre- to post-VAR learning interventions in the first iteration of the study. From the review of the literature, five instructional-design principles for integrating VAR instruction in educational settings, including cognitive intention, embodiment, interactivity, usability, exploratory and entertainment, were identified. Then, through different DBR iterations of the study and thematic content analysis of interview data, design principles were refined to add seven principles to the existing five, including prior knowledge, contextually situated, multi-representational, outcomes-based, scaffolded, inquiry-oriented and assessment-mediated. Further content analysis of qualitative data led to the generation of five themes that summarised PSTs’ experiences of VAR-enhanced NS Inquiry-based Learning (IBL), including 1. VAR-enhanced NS learning can support visualisation and content engagement; 2. VAR-enhanced learning promotes guided inquiry; 3. VAR-enhanced learning has a positive effect on the affective domain; 4. VAR-enhanced learning fosters creativity and critical thinking; 5. VAR-enhanced learning is transformative. When probed on the challenges of VAR-enhanced NS learning, PSTs identified five challenges, including technical, health, contextual, cognitive and pedagogical setbacks. From the findings of this DBR, it was concluded that VAR-enhanced instruction has a place for teaching and learning in NS classrooms today and in the future (to meet the learning needs of a technocentric generation). VAR technology can complement science instruction and enhance motivation and interest in science. Furthermore, the researcher concluded that adequate planning could dissipate the challenges associated with VAR-enhanced learning and, as a result, proposed an instructional framework for VAR integration in educational settings. Recommendations from the study are five-fold and directed to PSTs, teacher educators, researchers, policymakers, and designers of VAR educational technologies. First, for pre-service NS teachers, it is recommended that VAR-enhanced IBL be considered in the learning and visualisation of NS concepts to foster self-directed (autonomous) learning as well as enhance “technological” knowledge for the teaching profession ahead. Second, for teacher educators, it is recommended that serious planning be done when integrating VAR-enhanced instruction in teaching science concepts using the proposed framework from this research or other instructional frameworks. Third, for science education researchers, it is recommended that longitudinal studies which track the enactment of VAR-enhanced learning from PSTs’ experiences to their in-service practice over three to five years be conducted amidst other propositions in this study. Fourth, policymakers should curriculate technology integration for science learning and revise school policies to promote VAR-enhanced learning. Fifth, for designers of VAR learning technologies, it is recommended that VAR applications for teaching NS be more robust and include milestone assessments, multi-user interphases, adequate scaffold content and be user-friendly. The researcher's conclusions are also included in this thesis.
Keywords: Augmented reality, Design-based research (DBR), Design Principles (DP), Immersive learning, Inquiry-based learning, Natural Sciences, Pre-service teacher education, Virtual reality