Students and Teachers’ Perception on future use of Virtual Reality (VR) in learning Physics: A Preliminary Analysis

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) refers to the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. The rapidly changing landscape of education indicates that learning methods in schools need to evolve to keep up with the trend of incorporating integrated technologies into learning modules. The Malaysian primary and secondary school teaching methods have been redesigned to meet the 21st century learning styles. The existence of new millennial classrooms, e-learning applications and computer labs in secondary schools have allowed teachers to experiment with these new teaching styles. The aim of this paper is to gauge an early analysis on students’ perception of using virtual reality as a learning tool for critical topics in the Physics subject. This study focuses on the Physics subject as understanding a physics phenomenon is considered a challenging task. A questionnaire was delivered to 97 students consisting of upper secondary form 4, form 5 and recent science stream high school leavers. Data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed and triangulated with a structured interview conducted to five Physics teachers. The results showed that there were positive perception towards the possibility of using VR in future for critical topics in Physics. Suggestions on the type of VR equipment preferred by both students and teachers to be used for learning is also highlighted.