The Influence of Augmented Reality (AR) on the Motivation of High School Students

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology whose presence has increased in the field of education in recent years. However, its role in secondary education has not been thoroughly explored. Therefore, this research aims to analyse the influence of AR on the motivation of students at this stage while considering gender and previous information and communication technology (ICT) experience. This research uses a quantitative methodology that follows Keller's Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction (ARCS) motivational model. We implemented this instructional design model for a sample of 321 students from the same educational centre. They were divided into two categories: an experimental group (n = 159) and a control group (n = 162). The control group were studied in a slide-based learning environment, while the experimental group worked with an AR mobile application. For data collection, we used the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS). The results showed that the students who used AR displayed greater motivation, highlighting great interest in the integration of this technology into the learning process. However, no significant differences were obtained in the motivation of the students according to gender and previous experience with the use of ICT. In conclusion, this research shows that the use of AR improves motivation in secondary education.