An investigation of the effects of reality applications on science process skills in early childhood

Within the scope of the reflections of rapidly developing technology on education, the integration of innovative applications such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR) into learning environments has gained importance, and it is observed that these applications provide children with interactive and experience-based learning opportunities. From this perspective, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of AR, VR, and MR applications on the development of scientific process skills of children aged 60–72 months. In line with this aim, the study was designed according to the convergent parallel design, one of the mixed-methods research designs. The research process was conducted during the spring semester of the 2024–2025 academic year with 28 children aged 60–72 months attending a public kindergarten. The experimental implementation process of the study, which included quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, lasted eight weeks. According to the results of the analysis of the quantitative data obtained during the research process, AR, VR, and MR applications support the performance of children aged 60–72 months in terms of scientific process skills. In addition, the evaluation of the qualitative data revealed that children's explanations related to these skills became more diverse. In this context, it is recommended that AR, VR, and MR applications be integrated into preschool education environments to support the development of scientific process skills.