LEARNING ENGLISH GRAMMAR (EFL) TROUGH AR-BASED LESSONS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

The recent emergence and popularity of digital tools related with Augmented Reality (AR), such as Zooburst, Roar or Aumentaty, has facilitated the integration of this breakthrough technology in Education, particularly in foreign language learning (EFL), as illustrated in different research articles. Thanks to the worldwide penetration of tablets and smartphones, AR applications today can be effectively used by EFL students in the classroom. A total of 103 of Secondary Education students participated in this experiment aimed at measuring the effectiveness of learning grammar through AR-based lessons, and assessing the students’ learning outcomes. For this purpose, participants were randomly assigned into a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG), and they had to complete several class activities using traditional paper-based materials (CG) or AR-based materials (EG). All students completed an English language placement test, an on-line pre-test and a post-test, which were partly based on previous research (Hsu 2017), and included different items related with their self-perceived progress and satisfaction. Additionally, qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and class debates with students as well as in-service teachers. The research findings revealed that the learning progress was significantly higher among students in the EG. In general, students showed a positive attitude towards the meaningful integration of AR into the EFL lessons, but some problems were observed as regards teachers’ attitudes and preparation.