A preliminary study for designing and developing augmented reality-based module for teaching chemical bonding in Nigerian secondary schools

Abstract

The conventional strategies for teaching chemical bonding in Nigerian secondary schools, mostly utilizes two-dimensional images and structures either on paper sketches or boards drawing. As a result of these adverse situations, chemistry students in Nigeria have no background knowledge and skills in 3D chemical structures and could influence their visualization skills in learning abstract concepts. In this regard, it is considered imperative to adopt digital technologies such as augmented reality to convert the two dimensional structure to three-dimensional. This study investigated the chemistry teacher’s opinion on the need for designing and developing an augmented reality module for teaching and learning chemical bonding Nigerian secondary school. It involved a survey research design with a questionnaire validated by three experts in chemistry and technology education with a reliability of 0.74 using Cronbach Alpha. Thirty (30) chemistry teachers served as respondents selected using a purposive sampling technique. Their responses on the instrument (i.e. questionnaire) were analysed using descriptive statistics. Most of the respondents indicated low spatial visualization skills, spatial reasoning skills and achievement among the students due to low clarity of dimensions of images utilize. They further agreed that it is suitable to incorporate three dimensional and digital graphics into the real-world learning environment for chemical bonding and use of a mobile phone to present the chemical bonding mechanisms, shapes and structures even though 90% of them are not aware of the augmented reality and its principle guidelines in teaching