Nadia Eka Ardhani, Arif Widiyatmoko, Ani Rusilowati, Tiara Dwi Wulandari, Hutkemri Zulnaidi
The rapid development of information and communication technology in Industry 4.0 has transformed education and requires innovative learning approaches to develop students’ 21st-century skills, particularly STEM literacy. Indonesian students still demonstrate low achievement and engagement in STEM learning, as well as a lack of interactive digital learning resources. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an Augmented Reality-Based E-Magazine (E-Magazine AR) as an innovative learning resource for the human excretory system material, to improve students’ STEM literacy. The research employed a one-group pretest-posttest experimental design involving eighth-grade students of Junior High School 27 Semarang. Data were collected using STEM literacy tests administered before and after the learning intervention. The results showed a significant improvement in students’ STEM literacy, with an N-Gain score of 0.77 (from 59.12 in the pretest to 91.32 in the posttest), categorised as high. The paired sample t-test also indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05), confirming the effectiveness of the E-Magazine AR. Additionally, 91% of students achieved very high criteria after the intervention. These findings indicate that the E-Magazine AR is an effective digital learning media for enhancing students’ STEM literacy. This research supports SDGs 4 on quality education by promoting innovative digital learning in science education. It also contributes to SDGs 9 by advancing the digitalization of educational infrastructure through the integration of AR technology into E-Magazine learning media. The findings contribute to science education by providing an interactive and scalable learning solution that enhances students’ understanding, engagement, and readiness for a technology-driven learning environment. © 2026, Universitas Negeri Semarang. All rights reserved.
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia; PUI-PT Child-Friendly Education Innovation, Institute of Research and Community Service, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia; Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Malaysia
