Teacher perspectives on challenges and opportunities for immersive virtual reality learning integration in Australian schools

Abstract

The impact of using immersive virtual reality (iVR) technologies is well known across the recreational gaming, training, and healthcare sectors. However, iVR’s trajectory into education, especially across schooling contexts, is less known and at an early adoption phase. Only a few studies have deeply interrogated the teacher perspective on the benefits of iVR or how it is positioned pedagogically alongside curriculum as a powerful digital learning technology. This article reports on an exploratory descriptive survey of 66 Australian school teachers, two-thirds of whom had experience using iVR in classroom. The survey combined closed- and open-ended questions to elicit teachers’ demographic and professional profiles, technical choices, pedagogical applications, perceived benefits, barriers to use, and professional learning needs. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to compare the perspectives of iVR users and non-users. Findings reveal that early adopters demonstrated innovative pedagogical applications and a strong emphasis on student engagement, while non-users cited cost, access, and curriculum alignment as key barriers. The study provides valuable insights into the enablers and constraints of iVR integration and contributes evidence to inform professional learning, policy development, and scaling strategies in Australian schools.