Exploring pre-service teachers’ intentions of adopting and using virtual reality classrooms in science education

Abstract This study investigated how pre-service teachers perceive and plan to use a virtual reality classroom for science teaching during microteaching practices. The UTAUT 2 model was adopted as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through an online survey from eighty-three pre-service science teachers from a large metropolitan university in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and regression analysis. The results revealed that pre-service teachers demonstrated a high level of acceptance and intention to use Virtual reality classrooms in their microteaching practice and future classroom teaching. Thus, implying that they were receptive to the idea of using virtual reality classrooms in their microteaching practice and future classroom practice. Results further indicate that the preservice teachers are fascinated by the utilization of virtual reality classrooms for their microteaching practice based on two significant factors: social influence and technology self-assurance. However, results show that age and gender do not moderate the influence of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating condition, hedonic motivation, self-efficacy, anxiety and attitude on preservice teachers’ behavioural intention to accept and the virtual reality classroom for their microteaching practice and future classroom teaching. The implications of these findings for science teaching and learning are discussed as it delves into the motivations and considerations of pre-service teachers when incorporating virtual reality classrooms into their teaching practices for science education.