The role of immersive virtual reality (IVR) in supporting middle school science education in Pakistan and Northern Ireland

Abstract

This study presents a mixed method research on the use and impact of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) on the learning of science at the middle school level. With views on the perspective of science education in the 21st century, the effect of IVR on students’ attitude and self-efficacy towards science has been investigated along with the influence of IVR experiences on students’ presence and engagement. In addition to this, teachers’ perceptions and reflections on the potential of IVR for science learning have been recorded with regard to the current prominent pedagogies commonly used for secondary school science teaching.

This study has adopted a two-country comparative research approach with participants from schools of Pakistan and Northern Ireland to evaluate the impact of contextual nuances on the educational use of IVR. The study provides a literature-based overview of these two regions to emphasize the significance of using IVR for science teaching for developing and promoting the value of science at this specific academic level.

A mixed method analysis has been conducted to understand how IVR may influence students’ attitude, self-efficacy, presence and engagement. The quantitative data analysis revealed significant engagement scores for the IVR group from Pakistan, suggesting a positive relationship between IVR and engagement towards science. Through the qualitative analysis, relevant themes have been generated from focus groups and interviews to help achieve deeper insights into the aspects measured.

The findings of this study assisted in informing on the current situation of science at the middle school level in the two selected regions. The study therefore suggests recommendations on the role and implementation of IVR specific to each of the jurisdictions. From a global viewpoint, the study also presents a mapping of the prominent concepts around “IVR for learning” which intends to accommodate and guide future research in this field.

Date of Award	Jun 2024
Original language	English
Supervisor	Claire Woods (Supervisor), Sammy Taggart (Supervisor), Stephen Roulston (Supervisor) & Helen Jackson (Supervisor)