Development of an Augmented Reality Book to Enhance Elementary School Students' Science Literacy

Abstract

The persistence of minimal scientific literacy among elementary students, coupled with a reliance on traditional instructional media, underscores the necessity for more engaging learning resources. This study designed and evaluated an Augmented Reality Book intended to foster scientific literacy skills in primary school settings. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) design via the Plomp framework, the investigation progressed through the preliminary research, prototyping, and assessment phases. A sample of 30 fourth-grade learners was recruited using purposive sampling. Data collection encompassed observation protocols, teacher/student interviews, perception questionnaires, documentation, and scientific literacy assessments. Analytical methods included descriptive statistics, Normalized Gain (N-Gain) calculations, paired-sample t-tests, and qualitative evaluation. Findings revealed that: 1) expert evaluations yielded a 94.33% mean feasibility score; 2) student feedback averaged 90%, denoting an exceptionally high level of practicality; and 3) the media significantly enhanced learners' scientific literacy, demonstrated by a mean N-Gain of 0.7720 and statistically significant t-test outcomes (p <0.05). Ultimately, the developed Augmented Reality Book stands as a valid, practical, and highly impactful instructional tool for cultivating primary school scientific literacy.