An exploratory study on elementary students’ recognition and the affective effects of the VR-based English class

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a particularly increasing interest in applying state-of-the-art digital technology such as VR (virtual reality) to the educational field amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the high expectation that VR technology might be effective in English language teaching, not many attempts have been made especially in the context of elementary schools. The present study explores the recognition of and the affective effects on 3rd and 4th grader elementary school students through the VR-based English class. It first shows that almost all participants had already known and experienced VR technology before, and that they expressed great satisfaction with the VR-based English class. Second, the study also shows that participants displayed spatial presence, novelty and enjoyment during the VR-based class. Finally, it demonstrates that VR was modestly effective for some sub-elements of students’ affective domain: the improvement of motivation and confidence. Moreover, the VR-based class was particularly effective for easing students’ anxiety when they speak English. This study provides meaningful pedagogical implications not only for the practitioners who are willing to apply VR technology to English language teaching, but also for researchers who are eager for future research regarding VR technology.