Comparing the Effects of Augmented Reality-Based Inquiry Worksheets and Virtual Inquiry Labs on Argumentation Skills

This study investigated the effects of integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and virtual laboratories into an inquiry framework grounded in the six phases of research skill development to foster argumentation skills. The research focused on twelfth-grade high school students learning electricity concepts. 54 students participated, divided into two groups: 23 in the AR-based inquiry worksheet group and 31 in the virtual lab inquiry group. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the study identified three distinct patterns of changes in argument structures among the students: disorientation, static, and construction. While the static pattern dominated, improvements in the accuracy of reasoning and evidence were evident in students’ arguments. Notably, the virtual lab inquiry approach demonstrated greater effectiveness in enhancing argumentation skills than the AR-based worksheet. The implications of these findings for using AR and virtual labs in promoting argumentation skills are discussed in the conclusion.