Augmented Reality to Foster Critical Thinking in Natural Sciences Learning

Abstract

The relationship between Augmented Reality and the strengthening of Critical Thinking is a central element in updating the teaching of subjects such as Natural Sciences. From this perspective, the general objective was to determine the changes observed in levels of critical thinking after the use of AR in Natural Sciences learning, by evaluating students’ disposition toward the interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of scientific phenomena through self-perception tools. The methodology was structured using a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental pretest–posttest design in a sample of 38 participants, and a 20-item questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. The intervention consisted of a four-hour session using Merge Cube and Object Viewer, and Student’s t-test was applied to compare means. The results showed significant differences in scores, suggesting that technological mediation fosters a more reflective disposition toward scientific knowledge in resource-limited environments. Positive variations were identified in levels of critical thinking self-perception, with an increase in the overall mean that places the sample at a predominantly high performance level after the pedagogical intervention phase.