The Effectiveness of Using Augmented Reality Apps in Teaching the English Alphabet to Kindergarten Children: A Case Study in the State of Kuwait

This experimental research study scrutinized the effectiveness of using augmented reality (AR) applications (apps) as a teaching and learning tool when instructing kindergarten children in the English alphabet in the State of Kuwait. The study compared two groups: (a) experimental, taught using AR apps, and (b) control, taught using traditional face-to-face methods. A total of 42 (i.e., 21 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group) preschoolers enrolled in the public educational system participated in this study in the second semester of the 2015-2016 academic year. The findings of this research are coherent and consistent with the results of other studies conducted over the past 5 years as well as with the postulated hypotheses. The results revealed the following: (1) there were statistically significant differences between the control group (traditional group) and the experimental group (AR group) in their degrees of interaction with the English alphabet lesson in favor of the experimental group; (2) there were statistically significant differences between the control group and the experimental group in their scores on the English alphabet test in favor of the experimental group; and (3) there was a very strong linear relationship/correlation between the children’s interaction with the English alphabet lesson and their scores on the English alphabet test in the AR group. The study concludes with relevant proposals and recommendations regarding the implementation of AR technology in education and suggests undertaking further studies on this interesting topic.