Impact of Augmented Reality on the Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Mathematics in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of Augmented Reality on the learning outcomes of senior secondary school students in Mathematics in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This study is also aimed at determining the level of students’ performance in Mathematics when taught with the traditional chalk and talk method and Augmented Reality in senior secondary schools in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. It also investigated the challenges of Augmented Reality on the academic performance of senior secondary schools in Mathematics in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This research adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised students in Senior Secondary School I, II and III in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Stratified sampling technique was used for the research. The stratification index was the method of teaching. The students were grouped into two. These included students who were taught with the traditional chalk and talk method and those who were taught with Augmented Reality devices. Twenty public and 20 private schools were purposively selected for the research giving a total of 40 schools. The sample consisted of students in their intact classes selected at random. A total of 1341 students comprised the sample size. Seven hundred and nine were taught with AR while 632 were taught with the traditional chalk and talk method. Two research instruments were used to collect data for the study. These instruments included Augmented Reality Participation Questionnaire (ARPQ) and Mathematics Performance Test (MPT). The data collected were analysed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. The result showed that the level of performance of students who were taught with the Augmented Reality (AR) method was high. The study further revealed that the mean score of students taught with the AR method was 37.63 while the mean score of the students taught with traditional chalk and talk method was 25.41.The result also showed that the students who were taught with the Augmented Reality (AR) method performed better in Mathematics than those taught with the traditional chalk and talk method (F = 22.46, p< 0.05). Furthermore, the result showed that students’ level of participation in the learning of Mathematical concepts with AR significantly affects their performance in Mathematics in the study area (Adjusted R2= 0.510). The study concluded that secondary school students who are taught with Augmented Reality in senior secondary schools in Ile-Ife, Nigeria performed better than those taught with the traditional chalk and talk method. The study hereby recommends that educators, policymakers and other stakeholders in the Nigerian educational systems should explore the integration of AR technology in Mathematics classrooms.