This study examines recent developments in the use of augmented reality (AR) in physics education within the evolving landscape of educational technology. The aim is to provide a comprehensive mapping of research trends, pedagogical approaches, and methodological characteristics of AR-based physics learning. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search across four major databases identified 62 eligible studies published over the past five years. The findings reveal a consistent pattern in which AR is primarily used to support conceptual understanding of abstract physics topics, particularly electricity, mechanics, and magnetism, through inquiry-based and laboratory-oriented learning approaches. These implementations are commonly developed using systematic models such as ADDIE and evaluated through quasi-experimental designs, with Unity–Vuforia emerging as the dominant technological platform. More importantly, AR-based physics education remains largely visualization-centered and is still in an exploratory stage, with research predominantly focusing on short-term cognitive outcomes. This reveals critical gaps in the literature, including an overemphasis on conceptual understanding, limited attention to higher-order scientific competencies, and a lack of longitudinal evidence. These findings suggest that future research should move beyond conceptual gains to adopt more diverse methodologies and foster higher-order skills, such as scientific reasoning, problem solving, and metacognition, in order to fully leverage the potential of AR in physics education.
Musyaddad et al. (Thu,) studied this question.