Augmented Reality in English Language Teaching: Enhancing Engagement, Language Acquisition, and Cultural Awareness Among Moroccan Middle School Learners

This study explores the pedagogical potential of an Augmented Reality (AR)-enhanced instructional activity on learner engagement, English language performance, and cultural awareness among Moroccan middle school learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study involved thirty third-year middle school students who participated in a culturally contextualized AR-based reading activity focusing on Jemaa El-Fnaa, a historically significant Moroccan heritage site. The instructional intervention integrated QR-code-based AR materials, including audiovisual narratives and contextual visual content, designed to supplement a conventional reading task. Quantitative data were collected using pre- and post-intervention performance tests assessing vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing, each scored on a 20-point scale, alongside a structured Likert-scale questionnaire measuring learner engagement, motivation, perceived learning effectiveness, and cultural awareness. Qualitative classroom observations and open-ended learner feedback were used to support data triangulation. Results indicated statistically significant improvements across the three assessed language domains following the intervention, alongside high levels of reported learner engagement and positive perceptions of the AR-supported activity. While the findings suggest that AR-based instruction can contribute to enhanced learner engagement and short-term language performance within a culturally familiar learning context, the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited duration of the intervention and the absence of a control group. The study contributes exploratory evidence to the growing body of research on AR in EFL education, particularly within underrepresented middle school contexts in Morocco, and highlights methodological and infrastructural considerations for future research.