Augmented reality for practice-oriented learning in dual education: a Kazakhstan case

This study is aimed at identifying the scientific and pedagogical foundations of the integration of augmented reality, AR technologies into the system of dual vocational education and assessing their impact on the production practical and professional competencies of students. The results of a systematic analysis showed that AR technologies are an effective tool for combining theory and practice, increasing the interactivity of the educational process and forming production skills in a safe environment. Within the setting of digital transformation in the education system in Kazakhstan, it is urgent to reduce the gap between theoretical knowledge and industrial practice in dual education. From this point of view, the use of AR technologies is considered as a new pedagogical approach. The aim of the study is to develop students’ competencies through the use of AR technologies in the framework of dual educational programs and to empirically evaluate its pedagogical effectiveness. The study was conducted on the basis of two organizations of technical and vocational education using a quasi-experimental method for three academic years (2023–2024, 2024–2025, 2025–2026). The experimental group used the E-dual platform.kz with AR modules, traditional training was used in the control group. The total sample consisted of N=410 students (EG = 205, CG = 205). In the study, the proportion of low-performing students in both groups in all three academic years decreased by 5–7 percentage points. If in the 2025–2026 academic year the average score of the experimental group for the formative experiment was M=63.22, then in the determining period the indicator was M=60.98. In the control group, these indicators were M=60.52 and M=58.78, respectively. The growth of the experimental group was statistically higher than that of the control group (t = 1.717, df = 49, d = 0.188), while the growth value remained lower in the control group i.e., (t = 1.181, df = 49, d = 0.129). Both effective measurement values obtained on the Cohen scale refer to small impact levels.