Issues of mental health among higher vocational education students have attracted growing concern, fueling the need for novel pedagogical approaches that can foster psychological resilience. This study details the design and implementation of an innovative Virtual Reality (VR) pedagogical framework for mental health courses in higher vocational education settings. The research addresses the limitations of conventional pedagogical approaches through the use of immersive VR technology to create experiential learning spaces that foster the development of psychological resilience. Through a mixed-methods research design, we created an extensive VR-based curriculum with four main modules: stress management simulation, social interaction training, problem-solving under pressure, and exercises on emotional regulation. A 12 week experiment was carried out with 200 higher vocational students, comparing the effects of the VR intervention group with a control group receiving conventional instruction. Quantitative results revealed significant improvements in psychological resilience scores (Cohen’s d = 0.78, p < 0.001). Qualitative findings revealed significant improvements in student engagement, skill transfer to real-life situations, and self-efficacy in coping with psychological adversity. The virtual reality (VR) model showed greater educational efficacy in terms of knowledge retention, with a 23% improvement, as well as in practical skill application, which showed a 31% improvement compared to traditional learning methods. This study presents an empirically supported model for incorporating VR technology in mental health training, providing data-driven recommendations for its use in professional settings and opening the door for new approaches utilizing VR technology to enhance psychological resilience.
清滨 韩 (Tue,) studied this question.