Integration of Augmented Reality in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Early Childhood Education

• Published in: Early childhood education journal Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 147 - 155
• Main Authors: Redondo, Beatriz, Cózar-Gutiérrez, Ramón, González-Calero, José Antonio, Sánchez Ruiz, Raquel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.03.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Affective Behavior; Augmented reality; Children; Comparative Analysis; Computer Simulation; Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational technology; English (Second Language); English as a second language; English as a second language instruction; Foreign language learning; Instructional Effectiveness; Instructional Improvement; Learning and Instruction; Learning environment; Learning Motivation; Motivation; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Sociology; Sociology of Education; Teaching Methods; Information and communication technology; Early childhood education; English as a foreign language; Augmented Reality
• ISSN: 1082-3301; 1573-1707
• DOI: 10.1007/s10643-019-00999-5

Technology is ubiquitous in the educational field nowadays. Augmented Reality is one of the emerging technologies with more potential in educational contexts in the mid-term. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if the use of Augmented Reality in early childhood education improves the learning of English as a foreign language, increases pupils’ motivation and helps children at this age to establish more positive socio-affective relationships. A quasi-experimental study with an experimental and a control group was carried out with 52 and 50 early childhood education pupils, respectively. The results show a significant improvement in motivation, learning and socio-affective relationships in the experimental group, who completed instruction where AR was employed as a teaching tool, in comparison with the control group.