Impact of augmented reality on preservice educational leaders' self-efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which augmented reality (AR) learning materials helped to make case studies with richer media so that preservice educational leaders could prepare for increasing self-efficacy in learning educational ethics. Educational leaders sometimes have to face ethical dilemmas, but preparing preservice educational leaders in classrooms for these difficult situations is challenging. Case studies are often used to help preservice educational leaders "practice" making decisions under pressure, but simply reading a case study might not convey the intense pressure that ethical dilemmas could cause. Technology has the potential to make learning from case studies a more robust experience through multimedia platforms. AR has been implemented in classrooms to enhance learning by engaging students and reducing cognitive load in learning complex content. However, AR has not yet been investigated as a way to improve self-efficacy among preservice educational leaders in making decisions regarding ethical dilemmas. This study employed a convergent mixed-methods design to collect data from pre- and post- surveys and individual interviews. Participants were 17 graduate students in the educational leadership program, and 14 of them agreed to be interviewed. The survey results showed that there were no significant differences in preservice educational leaders' self-efficacy levels through the AR intervention. However, the interview findings highlighted potential factors for using AR to promote preservice educational leaders' self-efficacy. This study can contribute to research in multimedia instructional design by giving guidance on how AR enhances the media richness of case studies for learning to manage difficult workplace scenarios.