ARGeo Math - An alternative media to improve students’ mathematical creative thinking skills on geometry topics

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo

Mathematical creativity is a key 21st-century learning outcome, yet evidence on how augmented reality (AR) can strengthen it in elementary geometry remains limited. This quasi-experimental study, grounded in CTML and constructivist perspectives, evaluates ARGeo Math, an AR application that turns abstract geometry into interactive 3D visualizations. Forty-nine fifth-grade students in Indonesia were assigned to control and experimental groups. Results show significant gains in creative thinking (N-gain = 76.84%, effective category) and improved engagement, problem-solving flexibility, and representation-based understanding. Limitations include short intervention and small sample, suggesting further longitudinal, multi-site validation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and problem statement

Role of augmented reality and learning theory

Related work on AR and creativity in geometry

Contemporary Educational Technology, 2026, 18(2), ep648 ISSN: 1309-517X (Online) OPEN ACCESS Research Article ARGeo Math: An alternative media to improve students’mathematical creative thinking skills on geometry topics Yulia Maftuhah Hidayati 1* 0000-0003-0842-0897 Muhammad Noor Kholid 1 0000-0002-7215-3239 Anton Adi Suryo Kusuma 1 0000-0003-0258-2430 Achmad Januar Arifin 1 0009-0003-5697-6467 Anatri Desstya 1 0000-0002-2643-9252 Fitri Puji Rahmawati 1 0000-0002-0016-8263 1 Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Sukoharjo, INDONESIA * [Corresponding author:](Corresponding author: ymh284@ums.ac.id)[ ymh284@ums.ac.id](Corresponding author: ymh284@ums.ac.id) Citation: Hidayati, Y. M., Kholid, M. N., Kusuma, A. A. S., Arifin, A. J., Desstya, A., & Rahmawati, F. P. (2026) . ARGeo Math: An alternative media to improve students’ mathematical creative thinking skills on geometry topics. Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(2), Article ep648. [https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/18320](https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/18320) ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Received: 8 Jul 2025 Mathematical creativity is a crucial component of 21st century education, yet limited research Accepted: 7 Feb 2026 has examined how augmented reality (AR) can systematically enhance this ability in elementary mathematics. Grounded in the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML) and constructivist perspectives, this study investigates the effectiveness of ARGeo Math, an AR-based learning application that transforms abstract geometry concepts into interactive 3D visualizations to foster creative mathematical thinking. A quasi-experimental design involving 49 fifth-grade students in Indonesia was conducted, with one class serving as the control group and another as the experimental group using ARGeo Math. Quantitative analyses using normalized gain (Ngain) and t-tests revealed a significant improvement in students’ creative thinking skills in the experimental group (N-gain = 76.84%, effective category) . Beyond statistical gains, ARGeo Math supported cognitive engagement, flexible problem-solving, and deeper understanding by linking visual and symbolic representations. The findings extend educational technology theory by demonstrating a clear mechanism through which CTML principles particularly integrated multimodal cues can be operationalized to stimulate generative mathematical reasoning. This study offers practical, scalable insights for designing AR-enhanced STEM learning in primary education, and its theoretical model provides a distinct contribution for guiding future creativityoriented AR instructional design. Nonetheless, the quasi-experimental design with limited sample size and short intervention duration constrains the generalizability of results, indicating the need for longitudinal and multi-site research to further validate the model. Keywords: augmented reality, elementary education, elementary students, geometry, mathematics education INTRODUCTION The development of higher order thinking skills has become a priority in 21st century education, with creativity emerging as a central competency across global frameworks such as UNESCO’s education 2030 and the OECD’s PISA agenda (PISA, 2024; Sulistyanto et al., 2022; Surya et al., 2022; Thornhill-Miller et al., 2023; UNESCO, 2024) . Despite this emphasis, creativity remains underdeveloped in mathematics classrooms, where procedural instruction and limited conceptual exploration often restrict students’ opportunities to engage inflexible and original thinking (Newton et al., 2022) . These challenges are particularly evident in geometry, a domain that requires spatial reasoning and the ability to connect concrete and abstract representations, skills that many elementary students struggle to develop through traditional two-dimensional materials (Harris, 2023; Thom et al., 2024). This persistent gap highlights the need for learning environments that better n

FAQs

What is ARGeo Math and what learning problem does it target?

ARGeo Math is an AR-based learning application that converts abstract geometry into interactive 3D visualizations. It targets limited opportunities for students to engage in creative and exploratory mathematical thinking in geometry classes.

How was the study conducted to test ARGeo Math?

A quasi-experimental design involved 49 fifth-grade students in Indonesia, with one class as the control group and another as the experimental group using ARGeo Math. Creative thinking improvements were analyzed quantitatively using normalized gain (Ngain) and t-tests.

What outcomes did the study find for students’ creative thinking?

Students in the experimental group showed a significant improvement in creative thinking skills, with N-gain = 76.84% (effective category). The results also indicate increased cognitive engagement, flexible problem-solving, and deeper understanding through linking visual and symbolic representations.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo