Importance-Competency Analysis of Pre-service Special Education Teachers’ Perception of Metaverse Education

Objectives The purpose of this study was to survey the perception of the pre-service special education teacher in Early childhood education, Elementary Special education, and Secondary Special Education majors about the principles of Metaverse instruction design. Methods The statistical difference using t-test and anova between importance and competency were examined with 294 special education teacher survey respondents in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) was adapted to identify the specific competency to improve. Results As a result, respondents rated more highly the importance of all principles of Metaverse education design over their competency. The results of IPA identified as follow; ‘Network environment’, ‘Appropriate learning goals’, ‘specific scenes with reality’, ‘connect with various EdTech’, ‘Freedom and creativity’, and ‘sufficient time and opportunity’. Conclusions In order to utilize metaverse technology as a timely educational resource and to apply it as an effective interventional education method, it is necessary to raise awareness of new technology among pre-service special teachers and to strengthen their competence in the teacher training process.