The effect of augmented reality practices on students' success and learning performance in social studies

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of AT applications on the academic success of students and the permanence of learning in the learning area of "People, Places and Environments" of "Life on Earth" unit in the 2019-2020 Fall Semester 6th Grade Social Studies Lesson. In line with this general purpose of the study, a total of six hypotheses have been defined. In line with this general purpose of the research, a total of six hypotheses were defined. The research, which was carried out in a quasi-experimental model, was carried out on a total of 62 6th grade students studying in the 2019-2020 Fall Semester in an official state secondary school affiliated to the Directorate of National Education in Diyarbakır Sur district. The data were collected with the success test developed by the researcher. It consists of 30 multiple-choice and four-choice items in total. This test was applied to both groups as a pre-test before the experimental process. After that, the experimental process, which lasted for a total of five weeks, was applied. In this process, the lectures of both groups were conducted by the researcher. In the experimental process, lessons in the control group with the current teaching; in the experimental group, it was processed with AT support. After the experimental process, both groups were post-tested and four weeks later, the retention test was also applied to both groups. Data obtained from pre-test, post-test and permanence test to test research hypotheses, after the normality tests, were analyzed with the "t" test and the dependent groups "t" test which are parametric tests, Arithmetic mean, standard deviation and eta square techniques were used in the analyzes. In the interpretation of the analysis results, p= .05 significance level was accepted. The results reached for the sub-hypothesis defined in the study are given below: In the study, it was determined that AT-supported education in the secondary school 6th grade Social Studies Course increased the academic success of students more than the current education. Based on this finding, which aims to analyze the first three hypotheses of the research, it was concluded that AT applications supported teaching in social studies lesson is more effective than current teaching in increasing academic achievement. In the research, it was evaluated that this effect was due to the fact that AT provided a digital content layer to the experimental group students, making the extra course messages more visible, audible and interesting in addition to the textbook and real materials in the classroom. The second dimension of the research, which is to analyze the last three hypotheses, about the permanence of the learned, it has been determined that AT-supported teaching provides more permanent learning compared to current teaching. In the study, it was evaluated that this situation may be due to the higher learning level (academic achievement) obtained with the cognitive and affective support provided by AT to increase the permanence of the learned. Thus, all the hypotheses of the research were confirmed. In the study, it has been evaluated that the fact that AR provides both academic success and permanent learning may depend on the fact that this technology makes the messages (stimuli) more effective in the lessons and the students react more strongly to them. Because virtual and digital technologies such as AT are suitable for the mental functioning of middle school students who are generation Z. Because AT provides students with a rich audio-visual environment, symbolizing and animating the messages familiar to this generation, activating the right and left parts of the brain, creating a dynamic synthesis and enabling students to make more qualified coding. Because virtual and digital technologies such as AR are suitable for the mental functioning of middle school students who are generation Z. Because AT provides students with a rich audio-visual environment, symbolizing and animating the messages familiar to this generation, activating the right and left parts of the brain, creating a dynamic synthesis and enabling students to make more qualified coding. In the biological context, it can be thought that AT increases the synaptic connections between neurons by enriching the lesson messages and activating the chemicals that enable learning in the brain more. In the affective context, it can be claimed that AR provides more qualified cognitive coding by making lessons more interesting and enjoyable and by supporting attention, curiosity and motivation from the internal processes that enable learning, it is known that cognitive and affective intersection support learning. At the end of all these, it was evaluated that it is important to design and implement a technology-based social studies course in accordance with brain functions in order to prepare the individual for a technology-intensive society.