Innovative Approach Using Augmented Reality Technology in Teaching Grade 10 Earth Science: Its Impact on Learners' Academic Performance

Augmented reality (AR) technology presents innovative opportunities to enhance science instruction by offering interactive visualizations of abstract geological concepts. This study developed an Android-based AR instructional application and examined its impact on the academic performance of Grade 10 learners in Earth Science at Kaunlaran High School, Schools Division of Navotas City, Philippines, during the first grading period of the school year 2021–2022. A quantitative pretest–posttest control-group design was employed involving 80 learners, with 40 participants in each group. The developed application comprised five instructional modules aligned with the Department of Education’s Most Essential Learning Competencies. Academic performance was assessed using a 50-item teacher-made achievement test, while descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests were employed for data analysis at the 0.05 significance level. Pretest results indicated no statistically significant difference between the control (M = 16.20) and experimental (M = 16.83) groups (p = 0.639). However, posttest results demonstrated significantly higher academic performance among experimental-group learners (M = 26.15) compared with control-group learners (M = 22.00), p = 0.021. Descriptive mean gains were 9.32 and 5.80 points, respectively. These findings suggest that AR-assisted instruction may enhance learners’ academic performance by supporting the visualization and understanding of complex Earth Science concepts. The developed application represents a promising supplementary instructional resource, although further investigations involving broader samples and extended interventions are recommended to establish its effectiveness across diverse educational contexts and learning environments.