The Role of Virtual Reality in Education: Impact on Self-Efficacy, Cost, Cross-Cultural Learning, and Interaction

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) technology presents remarkable opportunities for learning, especially in strengthening students' belief in their academic self-efficacy. This study carries out a thorough analysis  (30 existing papers) to evaluate the effect of VR across various educational settings, its advantages, and remaining challenges. The analysis indicates that the immersive and interactive qualities in VR settings considerably improve student participation and strengthen their confidence in their learning abilities. Nevertheless, there appears research gap that considers both interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives when assessing VR's effectiveness. Besides, a limited academic focus can be observe with respect to the implementation of VR in environments with limited resources and the resulting impacts. To bridge these identified gaps, the present study puts forth a novel theoretical framework intended to optimize the incorporation of VR into educational methods and recommend differentiated approaches adapted to specific educational needs, the expansion of cross-cultural research, and the development of plans concerning economic viability and long-term consequences.