Effects of augmented reality applications on cognitive load, technological self-efficacy and academic success in primary school students with different learning styles

The aim of this thesis is to examine the effect of augmented reality (AR) applications on cognitive load, technological self-efficacy and academic achievement of primary school students with different learning styles. In addition, students' experiences after the application, their perceptions of learning and their opinions about the educational process were evaluated. In the study, mixed research method was preferred because qualitative and quantitative data were used together. The sample of the study consists of 4th grade students studying in a primary school in Aşkale district of Erzurum in the 2024-2025 academic year. Kolb Learning Styles Inventory-III (LSI-III), AR Technology Self-Efficacy Scale and Academic Achievement Test were used as data collection tools. In addition, a semi-structured interview form was applied to determine the students' views after the implementation. SPSS 27.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) package program was used to analyze the quantitative data; dependent and independent t-test, one-way and two-way ANOVA were used to analyze the findings. Qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis method. The results show that AR has different effects on academic achievement, attitude and self-efficacy levels. While a significant difference in academic achievement was found in the "Assimilating and "Accommodating" groups, the highest increase in self-efficacy levels was observed in the "Diverging" group. It was determined that the level of cognitive load was lower in students with "Coverging" learning style. Accordingly, it is suggested that researchers should plan AR applications according to learning styles.