Socioscientific Issues Based on Augmented Reality in Enhancing Students Scientific Argumentation
Abstract
This study examines the effectiveness of a Socioscientific Issues–oriented augmented reality concept book (SSI-AR) for introductory Social Studies courses in enhancing undergraduates’ scientific argumentation literacy. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, the research involved 30 purposively selected participants. The study was conducted in three phases. During the quantitative phase, students completed pre- and post-tests following instruction using SSI-AR materials. Scientific argumentation was assessed based on the Toulmin Argumentation Pattern (TAP), encompassing claim, data, warrant, backing, and rebuttal components. Results of a paired-samples t-test indicated statistically significant improvements from pre- to post-test (p < .05), with overall performance increasing from a “fair” to a “good” level. The most substantial gains were observed in the claim and data components, while performance in rebuttal remained comparatively weak.
The qualitative phase, consisting of in-depth interviews, provided explanatory insights into these findings. Lower-performing students reported difficulties in accessing scholarly sources and seldom articulated counter-arguments, whereas higher-performing students actively sought additional references, leveraged AR-based simulations, and engaged in collaborative discussions. Participants further suggested the integration of multi-perspective simulations within SSI-AR to support the development of more advanced critical-thinking skills. Overall, the findings suggest that SSI-AR constitutes a promising pedagogical approach for linking abstract concepts with real-world issues, enhancing student motivation, and fostering scientific argumentation skills, while highlighting the need for explicit instructional support to strengthen rebuttal construction.
Keywords: Socioscientific issues; Augmented reality; Scientific argumentation; Toulmin argumentation pattern; Social studies education; Mixed-methods research.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Sadler, T. D. (2004). Informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues: A critical review of research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(5), 513–536. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20009
Zeidler, D. L., & Nichols, B. H. (2009). Teaching and learning about socioscientific issues. In Handbook of research on science education (pp. 269–287). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Dawson, V., & Venville, G. (2010). Teaching strategies for developing students’ argumentation skills about socioscientific issues in high school genetics. Research in Science Education, 40(2), 133–148.
Zeidler, D. L., Sadler, T. D., Simmons, M. L., & Howes, E. V. (2009). Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education. Science Education, 89(3), 357–377. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20048
Sadler, T. D., & Zeidler, D. L. (2005). The impact of socioscientific issues on students' understanding of the nature of science. International Journal of Science Education, 27(14), 1699–1716.
Evagorou, M., Osborne, J., & Dillon, J. (2012). Socioscientific argumentation and decision making: The role of scientific reasoning. International Journal of Science Education, 34(5), 759–776.
Tetep. (2023). The use of learning media-based augmented reality (AR) to improving integrated science and social studies literacy. Jurnal Pendidikan Progressif, 13(3), 1267–1275. https://doi.org/10.23960/jpp.v13.i3.202328
Tetep. (2025). AR-Book and its role as a learning media in enhancing literacy and numeracy skills. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 15(3).
Ibáñez, M. B., & Delgado-Kloos, C. (2018). Augmented reality for STEM learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 123, 109–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.05.002
Radu, I. (2014). Augmented reality in education: A meta-review and cross-media analysis. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 18(6), 1533–1543.
Sirakaya, M., & Cakmak, A. (2018). Augmented reality and learning: The impact of interactive learning environments. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 15(6), 3–14.
Akçayır, M., & Akçayır, G. (2017). Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality for education: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 20, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.002
Erduran, S., & Jiménez-Aleixandre, M. P. (2007). Argumentation in science education: Perspectives from classroom-based research. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6670-2
Lin, T. C., Lin, T. J., & Tsai, C. C. (2022). Research trends in science education from 2013 to 2017: A systematic content analysis of publications in selected journals. International Journal of Science Education, 44(2), 215–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.2001231
Evagorou, M., & Dillon, J. (2020). Argumentation in science education as a means to scientific literacy. International Journal of Science Education, 42(12), 1921–1933.
Sahin, M., & Kablan, Z. (2022). The effects of AR-supported socioscientific issue instruction on pre-service teachers’ critical thinking and argumentation skills. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 33(3), 243–265.
Suastrawan, K., Suardana, I., & Sudiatmika, A. (2021). The effectiveness of science e-modules for class VII junior high schools based on socioscientific issues to improve students' critical thinking skills. Journal of Science Education Research, 5(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.21831/jser.v5i2.42877
Ma’rufah, D., Ngabekti, S., & Setiati, N. (2021). Development of socioscientific issues-based teaching materials to improve learning outcomes and students’ environmental care on the environmental changing material. Journal of Innovative Science Education, 9(3), 87–94. https://doi.org/10.15294/jise.v9i2.39911
Venville, G., & Dawson, V. (2010). The impact of a classroom intervention on grade 10 students' argumentation skills, informal reasoning, and conceptual understanding of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(8), 952–977. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20358
Khusmawardani, E., Muntholib, M., & Yahmin, Y. (2022). Impact of explicit scientific inquiry instruction hybrid mode with socioscientific issue context on students’ critical thinking skills in chemical kinetics. Journal of Chemistry Education Research, 6(2), 131–137. https://doi.org/10.26740/jcer.v6n2.p131-137
Jacobs, D., Henze, I., Evagorou, M., Shwartz, Y., Aschim, E., Alcaraz-Domínguez, S., … & Dagan, E. (2019). Science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge development during enactment of socioscientific curriculum materials. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 56(9), 1207–1233. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21550
Nielsen, J. (2012). Science in discussions: An analysis of the use of science content in socioscientific discussions. Science Education, 96(3), 428–456. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21001
Rashid, S., Razak, K., & Mahmud, S. (2024). The influence of science knowledge and moral sensitivity on socioscientific reasoning among form four students. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarped/v13-i1/20737
Viehmann, C., Fernández‐Cárdenas, J., & Reynaga‐Peña, C. (2024). The use of socioscientific issues in science lessons: A scoping review. Sustainability, 16(14), 5827. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145827
Gustiawan, L., Yusup, M., & Kistiono, K. (2023). Teacher perceptions of the use of socioscientific issues in science learning in middle schools of Tanjung Sakti District Pumi and Tanjung Sakti District Pumu. Jurnal IPA & Pembelajaran IPA, 7(1), 28–39. https://doi.org/10.24815/jipi.v7i1.29394
Tidemand, S., & Nielsen, J. (2016). The role of socioscientific issues in biology teaching: From the perspective of teachers. International Journal of Science Education, 39(1), 44–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2016.1264644
Siew, N., & Ahmad, J. (2023). The effects of socioscientific issues with thinking wheel map approach on curiosity towards STEM of year five students. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 81(1), 130–143. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/23.81.130
Erduran, S., Özdem, Y., & Park, J. (2015). Research trends on argumentation in science education: A journal content analysis from 1998–2014. International Journal of STEM Education, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-015-0020-1
Amala, I., Sutarto, S., Putra, P., & Indrawati, I. (2023). Analysis of scientific literacy ability junior high school students in science learning on environmental pollution. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 9(3), 1001–1005. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v9i3.1816
Berland, L., & Hammer, D. (2011). Framing for scientific argumentation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49(1), 68–94. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20446
T. D. Sadler, “Socioscientific issues-based education: What we know about science education in the context of SSI,” in Second International Handbook of Science Education, B. Fraser, K. Tobin, and C. McRobbie, Eds. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer, 2013, pp. 799–819.
Fadila, D., Suliyanah, S., & Deta, U. (2020). Analysis of interest and scientific literacy skills of senior high school in learning physics. Lensa Jurnal Kependidikan Fisika, 8(2), 39. https://doi.org/10.33394/j-lkf.v8i2.3195
Osborne, J., Henderson, J., MacPherson, A., Szu, E., Wild, A., & Yao, S. (2016). The development and validation of a learning progression for argumentation in science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 53(6), 821–846. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21316
Arici, F. (2021). The impact of augmented reality on science education: An exploratory study. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 24(1), 83–94.
H. Y. Chang, Y. S. Hsu, and H. K. Wu, “A comparison study of augmented reality versus interactive simulation technology to support student learning of a socio-scientific issue,” Interactive Learning Environments, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 366–378, 2013, doi: 10.1080/10494820.2011.593424.
H. Y. Chang, Y. S. Hsu, and H. K. Wu, “Students’ development of socio-scientific reasoning in a mobile learning environment,” International Journal of Science Education, vol. 36, no. 8, pp. 1249–1270, 2014, doi: 10.1080/09500693.2013.856482.
H. Y. Chang, Y. S. Hsu, and H. K. Wu, “Effects of an augmented reality-based socio-scientific issue learning activity on students’ scientific argumentation,” British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 337–356, 2018, doi: 10.1111/bjet.12567.
J. W. Creswell and V. L. Plano Clark, Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2018.
Sirakaya, M., & Cakmak, E. K. (2018). The effect of augmented reality on students’ achievement and self-efficacy in vocational education and training. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 5(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.5.1.1
Lin, M. H., Wang, H. L., & Chen, Y. M. (2022). Augmented reality in education: A review and classification. Educational Research Review, 19, 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100266
Cheng, M. T., & Tsai, C. C. (2021). The effects of augmented reality on students’ science learning: A meta-analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 897–919. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09782-x’
Nagpal, N., Rahmawati, Y., & Mardiah, A. (2023). Integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in transformation of teaching and learning pedagogy in Education 4.0. pp. 199–228. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-9285-7.ch009
Olokunde, T. (2023). Meeting the learning needs of K-12 digital age learners with educational technologies in science education. pp. 177–199. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8292-6.ch010
Abdilah, Y., & Suhardiyanto, A. (2023). Exploring the potentials of augmented reality poster for civic education in Indonesia. pp. 872–884. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-096-1_91
Szentirmai, A., & Murano, P. (2024). Enhancing learning through universally designed augmented reality: A comparative study of augmented and traditional learning materials. https://doi.org/10.3233/shti241044
Yadav, S. (2025). Revolutionizing classroom learning with advanced technology. pp. 223–246. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-0771-8.ch010
Kapetanaki, A., Krouska, A., Troussas, C., & Sgouropoulou, C. (2021). A novel framework incorporating augmented reality and pedagogy for improving reading comprehension in special education. https://doi.org/10.3233/faia210081
Zeidler, D. L. (2014). Socioscientific issues and scientific literacy: Understanding the role of science in society. Springer.
Toulmin, S. (2003). The uses of argument (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Vee, A., & Zhai, X. (2017). Enhancing science education with augmented reality: A review. International Journal of Science Education, 39(6), 827–849.
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Leech, N. L. (2006). Linking research questions to mixed methods data analysis procedures. The Qualitative Report, 11(3), 474–498.
Fetters, M. D., Curry, L. A., & Creswell, J. W. (2013). Achieving integration in mixed methods designs—principles and practices. Health Services Research, 48(6pt2), 2134–2156.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
