Secondary-School Students’ Evaluation of AR/VR Applications in School STEM Education

Nelly Marosi¹, Maria Christoforaki¹, Athina Karatza¹, Anastasia Georgiou¹, Myrto Koutra-Illiopoulou¹, Eirini Chatzara¹, Evangelia Mavrikaki¹ and Apostolia Galani^1,

¹Department of Pedagogy and Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Cite this paper:
Nelly Marosi, Maria Christoforaki, Athina Karatza, Anastasia Georgiou, Myrto Koutra-Illiopoulou, Eirini Chatzara, Evangelia Mavrikaki and Apostolia Galani. Secondary-School Students’ Evaluation of AR/VR Applications in School STEM Education. American Journal of Educational Research. 2026; 14(9):304-315. doi: 10.12691/education-14-9-2

Abstract

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) can support secondary STEM learning by making abstract, spatially complex, and difficult-to-observe phenomena more directly accessible. This study examined secondary-school students’ evaluations of STEM-IT AR/VR applications in terms of usability, perceived pedagogical value, engagement, and post-use acceptance. A post-intervention questionnaire was completed by 115 students from four European countries; a separate diagnostic questionnaire (n = 57) provided contextual information on prior technology experience. Responses were analyzed descriptively, and Spearman rank-order correlations with 20,000-resample bootstrap confidence intervals and Benjamini–Hochberg adjustment were used to examine associations with continued-use intention and recommendation. Positive evaluations were reported for interest and enjoyment (70.4%), clarity and usefulness of content (68.7%), and ease of use (66.1%); 73.0% indicated an intention to use similar applications in future lessons and to recommend them to other students. Clarity and usefulness showed the strongest associations with future-use intention (ρ = .566) and recommendation (ρ = .548). The findings indicate that acceptance was associated primarily with pedagogical clarity, active participation, and usability rather than immersion alone.

Keywords:
Augmented reality virtual reality AR/VR applications secondary education STEM

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Christoforaki, M., Karatza, A., Koutra-Illiopoulou, M., Georgiou, A., Marosi, N., Chatzara, E., Mavrikaki, E., & Galani, A. (2026). A systematic review of the comprehension and retention level of STEM subjects among secondary school students. American Journal of Educational Research, 14(5), 149–158.
[2]	Jiang, H., Zhu, D., Chugh, R., Turnbull, D., & Jin, W. (2025). Virtual reality and augmented reality-supported K-12 STEM learning: Trends, advantages and challenges. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 12827–12863.
[3]	Tene, T., Marcatoma Tixi, J. A., Palacios Robalino, M. de L., Mendoza Salazar, M. J., Vacacela Gomez, C., & Bellucci, S. (2024). Integrating immersive technologies with STEM education: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1410163.
[4]	Ciloglu, T., & Ustun, A. B. (2023). The effects of mobile AR-based biology learning experience on students’ motivation, self-efficacy, and attitudes in online learning. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 32(3), 309–337.
[5]	Hu-Au, E., & Okita, S. (2021). Exploring differences in student learning and behavior between real-life and virtual reality chemistry laboratories. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 30(6), 862–876.
[6]	Udeozor, C., Chan, P., Russo Abegão, F., & Glassey, J. (2023). Game-based assessment framework for virtual reality, augmented reality and digital game-based learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20, Article 36.
[7]	Al Amri, A. Y., Osman, M. E., & Al Musawi, A. S. (2020). The effectiveness of a 3D-virtual reality learning environment (3D-VRLE) on the Omani eighth grade students’ achievement and motivation towards physics learning. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(5), 4–16.
[8]	Chuang, T.-F., Chou, Y.-H., Pai, J.-Y., Huang, C.-N., Bair, H., Pai, A., & Yu, N.-C. (2023). Using virtual reality technology in biology education: Satisfaction & learning outcomes of high school students. The American Biology Teacher, 85(1), 23–32.
[9]	Lasica, I.-E., Meletiou-Mavrotheris, M., & Katzis, K. (2020). Augmented reality in lower secondary education: A teacher professional development program in Cyprus and Greece. Education Sciences, 10(4), 121.
[10]	Markowitz, D. M., Laha, R., Perone, B. P., Pea, R. D., & Bailenson, J. N. (2018). Immersive virtual reality field trips facilitate learning about climate change. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 2364.
[11]	Thoma, S. P., Hartmann, M., Christen, J., Mayer, B., Mast, F. W., & Weibel, D. (2023). Increasing awareness of climate change with immersive virtual reality. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 4, Article 897034.
[12]	Gattullo, M., Laviola, E., Boccaccio, A., Evangelista, A., Fiorentino, M., Manghisi, V. M., & Uva, A. E. (2022). Design of a mixed reality application for STEM distance education laboratories. Computers, 11(4), 50.
[13]	Mystakidis, S., & Christopoulos, A. (2022). Teacher perceptions on virtual reality escape rooms for STEM education. Information, 13(3), 136.
[14]	Benjamini, Y., & Hochberg, Y. (1995). Controlling the false discovery rate: A practical and powerful approach to multiple testing. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Methodological), 57(1), 289–300.