Effects of Augmented Reality with Pedagogical Agent on EFL Primary Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition, Motivation, and Technology Perceptions.

AbstractMobile augmented reality (MAR) technology provides EFL learners with a combination of real and virtual learning environments. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the effects of integrating pedagogical agent (PA) into AR applications. Therefore, this study designed and developed a MAR application with the pedagogical agent (PA-MAR) to support EFL primary school students' vocabulary learning. A total of 60 students from a primary school in central China participated in the experiment, and a QUAN-qual sequential mixed-method design was used. The results showed that students in the PA-MAR group outperformed students in the NoPedagogical Agent Augmented Reality Mobile Application (NPA-MAR) group and those who learned vocabulary in a traditional classroom in terms of vocabulary acquisition, motivation, and perception of technology. The results of the qualitative analyses showed that the students perceived PA-MAR as a useful tool for their vocabulary learning and that it improved their motivation and enjoyment. The theoretical and practical value of the study is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]