Metaverse in education: combining theory and expert knowledge to inform adoption

Purpose This study aims to examine the factors influencing metaverse adoption in education, addressing a context that remains underexplored and contested. It aims to identify and structure the key determinants shaping stakeholder adoption decisions while highlighting the metaverse’s implications for knowledge management through immersive and experiential learning. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a multimethod design combining the task-technology fit model and the extended resource-based view. Expert insights were analysed using fuzzy ordinal priority approach (F-OPA) to prioritise factors, modified Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (m-TISM) to examine interrelationships and develop a hierarchical framework and MICMAC analysis to classify factors by driving power and dependence value. Findings Fourteen factors influencing metaverse adoption were identified and grouped into four categories: infrastructure, pedagogy, accessibility and socioeconomic conditions. The findings show that adoption depends on both enabling capabilities and contextual constraints. The metaverse can enhance knowledge creation, sharing and application through immersive learning, but adoption is limited by infrastructure readiness, equitable access and socioeconomic disparities. Originality/value This study offers novel empirical evidence on metaverse adoption in education by integrating task-technology fit with the extended resource-based view and applying a combined F-OPA, m-TISM and MICMAC approach to generate prioritised and interpretive insights.