Augmented Reality in Elementary Science Education: A Systematic Review of Conceptual Understanding and Science Process Skills

Abstract

The abstract nature of internal-anatomical concepts in elementary science, including the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems, presents a persistent barrier to student conceptual mastery and necessitates the development of innovative instructional tools. This systematic review examines the impact of Augmented Reality (AR) on conceptual understanding and Science Process Skills (KPS) among elementary school students in Indonesia. Employing a rigorous state-of-the-art (SOTA) synthesis method, this study analyzes more than forty high-impact sources indexed in Scopus and Sinta published between 2022 and 2026, with particular attention to marker-based AR platforms and their visual-interactive affordances. The findings indicate that AR interventions substantially improve cognitive retention, procedural competence, and N-Gain scores by projecting three-dimensional virtual objects into real-time physical environments, thereby minimizing extraneous cognitive load. The review further reveals that AR provides the strongest gains for observing and communicating skills, while evaluating and analyzing data remain comparatively underdeveloped KPS indicators. It is concluded that AR functions as an essential pedagogical scaffold that bridges abstract scientific theory and concrete visual experience, positioning it as a strategic instructional tool for realizing the Deep Learning mandate of the Kurikulum Merdeka.