Innovative Teacher Education with the Augmented Reality Device Microsoft HoloLens—Results of an Exploratory Study and Pedagogical Considerations

Augmented Reality (AR) tools are increasingly finding their way into education settings. Although their use is still not widespread in educational contexts, the research literature indicates their potential and effectiveness. However, overall and specifically for the education sector there are still numerous research gaps. This study investigates how the use of head-mounted AR displays such as the Microsoft HoloLens can change learning and what needs to be considered from a didactic perspective. The researched sample consists of 18 student teachers with a nature and technology teaching profile of a German-speaking university of teacher education. The data collection included a written questionnaire, video recordings of a teaching unit with HoloLens examining molecular structures, and one-to-one semi-structured interviews. The results of questionnaires and interviews presented in this paper show that all students were highly motivated to work with this technology in teacher education. The usability of the HoloLens was rated very satisfactory, although many students expressed minor problems. Most students attributed a positive impact on learning to the AR device and stated that the usage of the devices increased their motivation for learning the topic. Overall, the results show that the use of AR in teacher education is considered very valuable and should be increasingly employed in the future