An investigation into the acceptance of augmented reality in Saudi Arabian schools

Augmented reality (AR) technology has recently begun to be introduced into science classes in Saudi schools. This emerging technology promises many advantages in teaching, like multimedia capabilities, improving content presentation, and enhancing students' learning. Although the Ministry has made it available in all schools, it is not universally used and the reasons for acceptance or non-acceptance of AR technology among Saudi secondary school teachers are unresearched. Thus, this study investigates teachers’ perspectives on factors affecting AR technology acceptance and actual adoption. The theoretical framework of relevant factors exploited was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2), partly with the aim of assessing its suitability in the Saudi educational context where it had not been widely used, adding one construct arising from that context (resistance to change as a personality trait). Qualitative interviews with 25 teachers in secondary schools in the Riyadh region provided data, allowing the teachers' own themes to also emerge. The study revealed that seven types of factors drive Saudi teachers' acceptance of AR technology: performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, and price in relation to value. This predominantly confirmed the relevance of the UTAUT2 model: only the factor of habit was unsupported, and the evidence was ambiguous with respect to the involvement of resistance to change as a personality trait. Notably, both AR users and non-users often had favourable attitudes to the teaching value of AR (its performance expectancy) but it was a variety of facilitating (or rather hindering) conditions that often accounted for non-users not using it. Implications are identified for the Ministry and school authorities who contribute to lack of use of AR by not in all respects providing necessary conditions for its use, and for the UTAUT2 model where the mediating role of some variables is suggested.