Education plays a pivotal role in fostering sustainable development, encompassing various facets such as education for sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, and appreciation of cultural diversity. Achieving the SDGs necessitates a comprehensive approach that addresses both the ways teachers learn to educate about issues related to SDG 4 and the ways students acquire and are assessed based on this knowledge.

This research presented an innovative approach to enhancing awareness of SDG4 (Quality Education) through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Despite global commitment to educational equity, traditional awareness methods often fail to create meaningful engagement among stakeholders. The proposed approach was a 6-month study that aims to develop and evaluate immersive AR/VR applications that simulate global educational challenges and disparities.

The proposed approach was a 6-month study that aims to develop and evaluate immersive AR/VR applications that simulate global educational challenges and disparities. The developed AR/VR application, titled "Educate2Innovate," featured a series of interactive modules. The VR component transported users to a virtual classroom in a developing country, where they experienced challenges like limited access to resources and teacher shortages. Users could interact with virtual objects to understand how these disparities impact learning. The AR component, accessible via a smartphone, allowed users to overlay 3D models of educational infrastructure (e.g., a school building, a library) onto their real-world environment, providing data visualizations on literacy rates and enrollment gaps in different regions. The content was designed to specifically address SDG 4 targets, including universal primary and secondary education (4.1), equal access to quality pre-primary education (4.2), and increased supply of qualified teachers (4.c).

Through a mixed-methods approach involving 60 student participants, these participants were selected based on their engagement in the SDG4 awareness. The research measured the effectiveness of these technologies in improving understanding and engagement with SDG4 objectives. A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the AR/VR intervention. Participants were divided into two groups: an experimental group, which was exposed to the AR/VR application, and a control group, which was exposed to SDG4 awareness materials using traditional methods.

Quantitative data was gathered through pre- and post-tests, which measured participants' knowledge and understanding of key concepts related to quality education. Additionally, questionnaires were administered to capture changes in attitudes, perceptions, and engagement levels toward SDG 4.

The analysis of quantitative data revealed a statistically significant improvement in participants' knowledge and awareness of SDG 4 following the AR/VR intervention. Specifically, post-test scores for the experimental group were significantly higher than both their pre-test scores and the post-test scores of the control group. This indicates that the AR/VR applications were effective in enhancing participants' understanding of the challenges and disparities related to quality education, and the questionnaire data showed a positive shift in participants' attitudes, perceptions, and engagement levels toward SDG 4.

Keywords: Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, SDG 4, Sustainable Development Goals, Immersive Learning, Awareness, Higher education.