JURNAL JPSD (Jurnal Pendidikan Sekolah Dasar)
Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026): May

Augmented reality in elementary science (IPA/IPAS) learning: a systematic review of effectiveness and design principles (2015 to 2026)

Donny Hartanto (Master of Educational Technology, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jakarta)
Indina Tarjiah (Master of Educational Technology, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jakarta)
Maria Paristiowati (Master of Educational Technology, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
23 May 2026

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) is growing quickly as an immersive technology in education. However, evidence that is specific to elementary science, and to the integrated IPAS construct in Indonesia's Merdeka Curriculum, remains scattered. This systematic literature review maps the effectiveness, design principles, moderating factors, and implementation challenges of AR in elementary science (IPA/IPAS) learning from 2015 to 2026. Following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, the review synthesized 45 open-access primary studies and appraised their quality with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The results show three patterns. The effect on motivation and engagement is the most consistent. The effect on cognitive outcomes is positive but inconsistent, because the AR advantage often shrinks under controlled designs with an active comparison. The effect on science process skills is promising but not yet robust. Because only 12 of the 45 studies used a control group, these results are read as associational rather than causal: the value of AR appears to be conditional on the pedagogy that accompanies it, on generative or embodied activity, and on the management of cognitive load, and it is not produced by the technology alone. None of the 45 studies operationalized the integration of natural and social science, so the existing AR for IPAS is essentially AR for science. The main contribution is a design principle framework, the AR IPAS 5 P framework, derived inductively from the cross tabulation of design features against effect direction across the corpus, together with a research agenda that closes the integrated-construct gap.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JPSD

Publisher

Subject

Education

Description

Jurnal Pendidikan Sekolah Dasar (JPSD) dengan ISSN : 2356-3869 (printed) e-ISSN: 2614-0136. JPSD mempublikasikan makalah yang berisi hasil penelitian tentang pendidikan dasar, gagasan konseptual, kajian dan aplikasi teori, tulisan praktis, pengajaran sekolah dasar. Naskah akan diterbitkan 2 kali ...