Factors Affecting the Intention to Use Virtual Reality in Education

Abstract

Virtual Reality has become inevitable in this modern world as it is considered one of the developments that ICT has achieved. A variety of fields, including medicine, engineering, agriculture, training, education, etc. benefit from the elevated growth of Virtual Reality hardware and software technologies. The education field has started embracing this technology to increase the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process. The technology is effective, but at the same time, it contributes a lot to a greener world by eliminating the need for field visits, lab experiments that damage the environment, and avoiding the need for physical presence. While the development of Virtual Reality technology is predominant in the western countries, accepting and coming forward to use the same in India is comparatively slower. Several factors contribute to the successful use of any ICT tools in a classroom, among which the teacher's readiness to learn and implement technology is crucial. This study focuses on the teacher-related factors that affect the intention to use Virtual Reality in their classrooms. Using the Technology Acceptance Model, 92 teachers handling different subjects from high schools in Tamil Nadu, India, who volunteered were included in this study and accessed. Teachers were given a questionnaire after the intervention of VR applications. The study concludes that the Virtual Reality hardware, software applications must be easy to use, readily available content for the taught subject, and the awareness of the pros and cons would drive the teachers’ intention to use Virtual Reality. This study's outcome also provides practical implications of using Virtual Reality in the classrooms with shreds of evidence from the literature.