Revolutionizing STEM Education: BeSAR Augmented Reality Application Sparks Passion for Science in Rural Primary Schools

In 2020, it was found that only 20% of the 2 million high school students majored in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), compared to the national target of 40% of students. This requirement is important for the country to guarantee the sustainability of its development and progress. STEM education provides students with the critical skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing and increasingly technology-dependent world. With this motivation, the idea was born to help increase the motivation and interest of primary school students in learning science and STEM by using augmented reality (AR) technology. This project has produced an Integrated Science Learning Module and a mobile AR Application, BeSAR: Learning Science through AR, to support STEM teaching and learning outside the classroom. The selected Science Learning Modules are topics based on the elements found in the SK Eco-Science Park Kundasang, namely Aquaponics, Biocompost, Water Cycle and Food Web. Using the developed BeSAR application allows students to experience a more interactive and interesting learning experience. The BeSAR mobile application was developed using the prototyping methodology. Using the Kansei assessment method, after the students used the BeSAR application, the findings showed that the students could accept the use of AR technology in learning and feel that STEM subjects, especially Science, are something fun. The Kansei evaluation method is used to analyze the emotions or feelings of users towards the interface design of mobile applications. This study implies that the use of AR in Science learning can be used as one of the ways to increase interest in science among rural students.