Video-Based Mathematics Teacher Training: A Comparison of Real Classroom Videos and Virtual Reality

https://doi.org/10.9743/JEO.2024.21.4.10

Abstract

Despite the promise of virtual reality (VR) videos to provide reflective opportunities analogous to those afforded by real-world classroom recordings, there has been scant research on its usage in teacher education to date. In this quasi-experimental study, we compared the effects of two distinct stimuli used for student teachers’ reflections on their teaching. This mixed-methods study investigated how participants’ perceptions of their own abilities to engage in reflective thinking changed over time. Twenty-three preservice instructors watched a genuine classroom film and compared it to 46 who watched a virtual reality version. Only the VR group saw a gain in self-efficacy related to reflection over time. We also discovered that, like traditional classroom videos, VR videos prompted participants to engage in self-reflection. This research is the first to show that reflecting on VR classroom footage yields similar outcomes as reflecting on actual classroom videos in mathematics. This demonstrates the viability of VR for use in teacher education and its potential value as a tool for education professionals.

Keywords: virtual reality, learning design, educational technology, reflective thinking