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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 12
Publication Date: December 25, 2021
DOI:10.14738/assrj.812.11356. Abdelmagid, M., Abdullah, N. & Aldaba, A. M. A. (2021). Exploring the Acceptance of Augmented Reality Among Tesl Teachers and
Students and its Effects on Motivation Level: A Case Study in Kuwait. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(12). 23-34.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Exploring the Acceptance of Augmented Reality Among Tesl
Teachers and Students and its Effects on Motivation Level: A Case
Study in Kuwait
Mohamed Abdelmagid
Norillah bt Abdullah
Abdulmajid Mohammed Abdulwahab Aldaba
ABSTRACT
Education research around the world has witnessed unprecedented technology
integrated curriculum aiming at exploring the potentials of innovative technology
tools on teaching and learning practices. Augmented Reality (AR) becomes the
latest technology embedded in pedagogical strategies to enhance effective teaching
and learning specifically in language. This study attempted to explore AR
integration in English subject as a second language (ESL) in primary schools in
Kuwait. The objectives were designed to explore: i. the perceived acceptance of
teachers and students, ii. the strategies used by teachers in planning and
implementing ESL classes using the AR, iii. students' and teachers’ motivation from
the model of Attention, Relevance, Confidence & Satisfaction (ARCS), and iv.
students' engagement. The study was designed as a case study via a qualitative
approach by employing semi-structured individual interviews with two ESL
teachers and eight students from two primary schools in Kuwait. It was also
incorporated two observations for each school. To complement the pedagogical
affordances of AR, the study proposed an AR-aided module. The findings reveal that
teachers and students of AR classroom context have perceived acceptance not only
from usefulness and ease of use but also the willingness to use AR in the future. The
students' engagement is evidenced by their enjoyment and interest. The teachers'
and students' motivation has been maximized. Lastly, the efficacy and practicality
of the AR model framework incorporating the Theory of Acceptance Model (TAM),
Situated Learning Theory (SLT), and ARCS were materialised. The study has
extended TAM with effectiveness as an additional factor, spearhead towards
practical importance of the designed module.
Keywords: Augmented Reality, Educational Technologies, Motivation, Engagement,
Teaching and learning, Technology-enhanced learning
INTRODUCTION
The utilization of technology tools and facilities has induced increasing improvement in
teaching various subject matters in general and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)
in particular. Advanced technologies have yielded plenty of gains in terms of TESL pedagogy by
means of its interactivity, immediacy, collaboration, and numerous functional
teaching/learning tools (Derakhshan, Salehi & Rahimzadeh, 2015). TESL practices have utilized
diverse software programmes for maximising the learning outcomes of students particularly
about language acquisition skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing). Educational
technology plays an outstanding role in delivering knowledge content and improving learning
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 12, December-2021
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
skills by engaging learners in collaborative, enriching learning experiences with fun and
enjoyment (Andrade, 2014; Nomass, 2013).
The term Augmented reality (AR) denotes a concept of technology that allows both actual and
virtual items to coexist in real-time while also providing real-time interactivity (Azuma, 1997).
In other words, AR is a platform that creates a fusion of virtual world and real-world settings
by adding additional data, such as text, audio, video, 2D picture, or animation, to make an
integrated, creative experience. AR mixes three-dimensional (3D) computer-generated items
(images, videos, and animations) that are superimposed on a real-world scenario (Gopalan,
Zulkifli, and Bakar, 2016).
Over the years, Augmented Reality (AR) technology has taken its hype in education. Godwin- jones (2016) asserted that language educators have realised the craze of Pokemon GO among
school students which inspired them later to explore the AR potentials to trigger better
motivation and interactions. Originally connected to the Internet, now AR applications have
advanced to held hand gadgets in a more handy and simpler way. According to Sdk, Amin, and
Govilkar (2015), AR consists of three sequential stages: recognition, tracking and mixing. The
first process of the recognition stage starts with the AR-enabled tracker which triggers through
the device camera. This is followed by an AR-enabled tracker that responds to the designed and
installed AR software. Finally, the mixing stage takes place when multimedia and animation are
overlaid over the real-life scenes; and then the users can interact with the object. Thus, AR
becomes a blend of computer-generated digital objects with real-world scenarios that can be
infused in language teaching and learning to add more quality to the process.
Recent research has shown that AR integration can establish an effective and meaningful
learning setting; as well as overcome several challenges ranging from poor motivation to low
achievement among students in TESL classrooms (Lazar Stošić, 2015; Rahimi & Hosseini,
2015). Thus, the evolution of technology in education has called upon the Ministry of Education
in Kuwait to keep abreast with the standards and quality of education around the globe. Many
efforts and investments have been poured into the education system. Highlighting a new
dimension of pedagogy, this study attempted to explore AR use in the TESL setting in primary
schools in Kuwait. The objectives were designed to explore i. the perceived acceptance of
teachers and students, ii. the strategies used by teachers in planning and executing the AR-aided
lessons, iii. students' and teachers' motivation from the ARCS model, and iv. student
engagement.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Previous research has explored the Theory of Acceptance Model (TAM) in understanding the
utilization of technology. This theory is originated from the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) which explains attitude and behaviour as the component of
motivation that drives a certain action. TAM has examined the action based on how a user
accepts the technology. However, human behaviour is complex especially in highlighting the
technology use in education. Thus, the researcher attempted to highlight the evolution of TAM
and how it relates to the present research.
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Abdelmagid, M., Abdullah, N. & Aldaba, A. M. A. (2021). Exploring the Acceptance of Augmented Reality Among Tesl Teachers and Students and
its Effects on Motivation Level: A Case Study in Kuwait. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(12). 23-34.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.812.11356
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
The early version of TAM has forwarded two main factors in triggering the acceptance of the
technology. The first is perceived usefulness (PU) referring to the extent users feel and are
aware of the technology benefits when using it. The second factor is perceived ease of use
(PEOU) which denotes the seamlessness and simplicity of using a technology tool or system
from the standpoint of the user. TAM is significant to explain the behavioural change in relation
to technology acceptance that positively affects the system actual use (Davis, 1993). Besides,
TAM was further extended by Venkatesh and Davis (2000) to model (TAM 2) where they added
the subjective norms on behavioral intentions. In TAM2, the subjective norm is able to explain
the importance of a specific technology according to the expectation of the environment, be it
teachers, peers, or social community.
TAM has been successfully adopted as a research framework (Rauschnabel & Ro, 2016). Despite
the extensive use in many studies to investigate technology acceptance (Bagozzi, 2007), TAM is
not free from criticism. Thus, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)
was proposed by Venkatesh and Davis (2007) as an enhanced version of TAM. It efficiently
reflects a kind of unification of earlier findings of theories and models (e.g., TRA, TAM, social
cognitive theory, theory of planned behaviour, and others). UTAUT incorporates social factors
(e.g., norms, images), perceived usefulness (performance expectancy), perceived ease of use
(effort expectancy), and facilitating situations (supportive organizational and technical
infrastructure).
However, many previous studies have also employed the model for examining the technology
acceptance of AR. TAM was utilized by Rese et al. (2014) and Spreer and Kallweit (2014) to
investigate the acceptance of AR technology among different user groups. TAM is still relevant
despite the evolution of technological advancement in education. Nevertheless, Leue et al.
(2014) claimed that TAM requires some modification based on other additional factors; for
example, the use expenses to be aligned with AR applications. In short, TAM has proved its
popularity in AR-related studies because of the driving factor of using the technology
(Alkhattabi, 2017; Cheng, 2017; Mikusa, 2015; Rauschnabel & Ro, 2016; Yilmaz, 2016). For this
study, the main point is to highlight TAM's predictors by focusing on the aspect of user usage
rather than the system quality and management support.
Situated Learning Theory
Situated Learning Theory (SLT) is based on the belief that the situation or context for
interactivity of participants in learning is based on real-life scenarios. This is also contributed
from the perspective that SLT assumes that learning is merely an unintentional process by
which learners construct several connections through authentic experiences and learning
activities. (Lave and Wenger, 1990). These connections are rooted in pairing students in
practicing physical activities and the cognition they use and receive. Brown, Collins, and Duguid
(1989) have claimed that Situated Learning Theory (SLT) becomes the genre in AR research.
Additionally, the AR sense of presence allows learners to remember previous knowledge and
engage in an interactive real-life context (Cuendet et al., 2013). Thus, the learners become
experts, taking charge of the learning process in explaining and leading the lesson. Thus, the
two main theories of TAM and SLT have been incorporated to underpin this research
framework as a guideline for the findings and discussions.