Bridging the coursework-placement gap: implementing an AI-enabled VR environment to support student teachers’ experiential learning

This paper explores the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) in an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme to enhance student teachers’ learning experiences. Using a custom-built VR environment, the study examines how student teachers engaged in practice-based learning, self-reflection, and peer collaboration within the virtual space. The findings demonstrate VR’s potential in fostering classroom readiness, enabling student teachers to experiment freely and engage in iterative practice in a low-risk setting. However, the study also highlights VR’s limitations in replicating the complexity of real-world classroom interactions, particularly in relational and adaptive aspects of teaching. The research suggests that VR should serve as a complementary tool to authentic school placement experiences rather than a replacement. Implications for teacher education programmes include the focussed use of VR for refining specific teaching approaches and the importance of structured reflection in connecting learning from the VR environment with real-world classroom experiences.