Abstract:
This study explores how does the use of Virtual Reality (VR) simulation as a
technology tool influence teachers’ pedagogy. VR is a relatively new technology in
the primary school classroom environment. This study explored how the use of this
immersive, multimodal technology influenced the teachers’ pedagogy, their teaching
and learning practices. The conceptual framework depicts the relationship between
the teachers’ planning, resource selection, learning theories and the influence of the
VR resource. Eight intermediate phase teachers from four private schools within a
range of socio-economic groups in South Africa participated in this qualitative
instrumental case study with a constructivist-interpretivist research design. Schools
were purposefully selected, and participants taught at those schools and
volunteered to be part of the study. The participants communicated both
opportunities and challenges during the lessons. The teachers’ experiences and
observations influenced their teaching pedagogy. Thematically analysed the data,
using an inductive approach. More research is also needed to understand the
deeper underlying reasons for the excitement of using VR, possibly by comparing
the use of VR to that of high-resolution videos and/or images. This study
demonstrates that technology has a positive influence as an educational tool on
teachers' pedagogy; however, if the use of VR increases within the schooling sector,
further investigations into educators’ professional development might assist
teachers to integrate technology into their teaching practices.
