A needs analysis study for the development of augmented reality applications in science and mathematics teaching for individuals with special educational needs

Abstract

AR technology is utilized in several disciplines at various educational levels, from primary to higher education. It is evident that AR technology has been investigated by addressing numerous subtopics related to individuals at different levels of science and mathematics education within the field of special education. Since emerging evidence indicates that the implementation of this technology has a positive impact on students' acquisition of academic skills, it could be argued that more effort is required to develop and implement AR applications for students with cognitive challenges. This study aims to identify the areas of science and mathematics where secondary school students with SEN encounter learning difficulties by conducting a needs analysis with special education professionals. The purposive sampling method was employed for this study, and a total of 150 teachers were interviewed. The findings indicate that science teachers struggle to teach students with learning disabilities, particularly in subjects requiring abstract thinking and physics. In addition to science classes, teachers stated that they encountered difficulties when teaching certain mathematics subjects, such as the four operations, fraction problem-solving, and geometric shapes, to students with learning difficulties. Finally, teachers also suggested that augmented reality applications should be implemented for mathematics topics like problem-solving, fractions, geometry, ratio, and proportion.