Effects of immersive virtual reality on primary students’ science performance in classroom settings: a generative AI pedagogical agents-enhanced 5E approach
Xiaodong Wei, Yayi Chen, Peihao Zhao, Lei Wang, Lap–Kei Lee, Ruixue Liu · Interactive Learning Environments · 2025
Immersive virtual reality (IVR) holds the potential to transform science education by offering opportunities to enhance learners’ engagement, motivation, and conceptual understanding. However, the integration of generative AI pedagogical agents (GPAs) into IVR environments remains underexplored. Specifically, the application of GPAs as a scaffold within the framework of the 5E learning model in science education has not been fully examined. To address these gaps, this study explored the impact of a GPA-enhanced 5E (GPA-5E) learning approach in IVR on primary students’ academic achievement, self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and their perceptions of the proposed method. Adopting a mixed-methods design, eighty sixth-grade students from two complete classes were assigned to either an experimental group engaging IVR science learning with a GPA-5E approach or a control group following the traditional 5E method. The results indicated that the GPA-5E approach in IVR science learning significantly improved students’ academic achievement, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy compared to the traditional method. Students in the experimental group also reported positive perceptions of the GPA-5E method, emphasizing its benefits in IVR science learning. These findings underscore the potential of integrating GPA-enhanced scaffolds within IVR environments to enrich pedagogical strategies and improve student outcomes in science education.