Fostering conceptual understanding of organic solar cells through immersive augmented reality: a quasi-experimental study in chemistry education

Organic solar cells (OSCs) are increasingly important in modern chemistry and sustainable energy education; however, undergraduate students often struggle to understand their molecular structure, charge generation, charge transport, and operating mechanisms because these processes are abstract, invisible, and difficult to convey using conventional instructional approaches. This study investigated whether an immersive augmented reality (AR) learning application could improve conceptual understanding of OSCs and reduce students’ misconceptions. The AR application was developed through a needs assessment with chemistry educators and incorporated interactive three-dimensional visualizations, molecular- and device-level explanations, and simulations of key OSC processes.

An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study with semi-structured student interviews. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the instructional method had a significant effect on post-test performance after controlling for pre-test scores (F(1,117) = 214.67, p