As the world becomes more open, information and communication technologies are highly developed, and today countries are preserving and transmitting their cultures by incorporating cultural content into their curricula. In Mongolia, teaching “Mongolian folk culture and upbringing” for students in grades 1-12 and developing citizens who know, love, and protect their traditions is an aim that needs to be achieved. However, the implementation of this course and the results of previous research show that the quality of Mongolian cultural education courses are poor. The reason being that the textbooks did not fit the specifics of the training and that the teachers used passive teaching methods. Existing research also shows that it is necessary to provide more in-depth knowledge and skills, reflect the characteristics and advantages of cultural education in training, and provide students with the multifaceted potential of cultural education. Numerous educational technology studies have shown that training using mobile AR technology provides students with more profound knowledge, skills, and opportunities for cultural practices. This study aims to develop a learning model tailored to the specifics of Mongolian culture using mobile AR technology and to examine its impact on students' learning achievements, motivation, and cognitive load to improve teaching methods using Mongolian folk culture upbringing.
In general, the research part is divided into two main parts: developing a learning model and examining the impact of the learning model. Before developing the learning model, a questionnaire survey was conducted online, using a Google Form, for secondary school teachers to identify problems encountered in teaching Mongolian folk culture and upbringing and the expected outcomes of this course.
At the development of the learning model stage, an initial learning model was then developed based on the literature review to address the challenges faced by this cultural education. Three rounds were implemented using the Delphi methodology to develop the learning model. In each round, one model prototype was developed and evaluated by a group of experts. Experts examined the validity and practicality of the prototype, identified the advantages and disadvantages of the model, and offered suggestions about how to further improve it. After three rounds of revisions, a final learning model was identified for teaching elementary Mongolian culture.
Subsequently, three groups of 119 students in the 5th grade of school No. 44 conducted a pilot study to study the impact of the AR-KHAS learning model. The study employed the quasi-experiment design and students were assigned to the AR-KHAS learning model and mobile AR app (experimental group B), AR-KHAS learning model with textbook (experimental group A), and traditional learning method and tools (control group) as three learning methods. Before the experiment, students were given a pre-test, followed by a post-test, an IMI questionnaire, and a NASA TASK load index questionnaire to measure students' learning achievement, learning motivation, and cognitive load by comparing the results of the three groups. In addition, individual interviews were conducted with the teachers who taught the experimental groups, and feedback and assessment were provided on the implementation process and improvements of the learning model.The qualitative research data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
The findings of this study are based on quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative data collected during the experimental study were processed using SPSS software and qualitative data thematic analysis were acquired from teachers’ and experts’ interviews. Findings suggest that 1) the learning model was valid, 2) the learning model was practical, and 3) the effectiveness of the learning model was demonstrated by the learning achievement and motivation of the experimental group of students. The group of students who used the learning model combined with the mobile AR app had higher learning achievement and motivation scores than the other two groups. Also, the learning achievements of the group used the AR-KHAS learning model compared with the group that used the traditional teaching method. The students of the group using the AR-KHAS learning model developed the knowledge, habit, adore and spread competencies. The mobile AR app was also used as a learning tool to improve the effectiveness of the learning model. Using the Mobile AR app students gain more in-depth knowledge and skills than textbooks and traditional tools.
Based on these findings, it is concluded that this study has achieved its goal of effectively teaching Mongolian cultural education. It is also concluded that this research has improved the quality (motivation and achievements) of Mongolian cultural education and improved teaching methods to a certain level. The development of the cultural education learning model is a theoretical contribution to this study. The practical contribution of this study is: it identifies the features of cultural education and identifies the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students will develop. Using the AR app, students experiment with cultural education content and gain in-depth knowledge and skills. By developing a learning model and using it in training, the training is of high quality, has a clear structure and methodology, and achieves defined target results.