Exploring the effect of VR-enhanced teaching aids in STEAM education: An embodied cognition perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Physical Teaching Aids (PTAs) and VR-Enhanced Teaching Aids (VETAs) on students’ learning performance, attitudes, and classroom interactions in a STEAM course. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with a total of 85 fifth-grade students, 42 in the treatment group and 43 in the control group. The students in the treatment group reported a high level of acceptance of the VETAs in the post-course interview. The Lag Sequential Analysis results indicated that the use of VETAs improved students' learning performance and made the classroom more learner-centered than those who were facilitated with PTAs. In the treatment group, students were able to investigate problems more actively, practice and innovate more interactively, and achieve deeper learning. The current study further elaborates on the reasons and summarizes the mechanism of VETAs supporting the perceptual field in STEAM education.